In The Aftermath: A Novel by Jane Ward

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

When David Herron—overwhelmed and despairing, his family’s business and finances in ruin due to the bursting lending bubble of 2008—takes his own life one chilly spring morning, he has no idea the ripple effect his decision will set into motion.

Two years later, his widow, Jules, is now an employee of the bakery she and David used to own—and still full of bitterness over David’s lies, perceived cowardice, and ultimate abandonment of her and their now-teenage daughter, Rennie. Rennie, meanwhile, struggles socially at school, resents her work-obsessed mother, and is convinced she’s to blame for her father’s death.

When Denise, the former police detective who worked (and, due to her own personal struggles at the time, mishandled) David’s case, catches sight of Rennie at her sons’ school, she’s struck by the girl’s halo of sadness—and becomes obsessed with attempting to right the wrongs she believes she perpetrated two years ago.

And as all this unfolds in Boston, Daniel, the guilt-ridden young man who, in his old life as a banker, helped create the circumstances that led to David’s suicide, continues to punish himself for his sins by living half a life, working odd jobs and bouncing from one US city to another, never staying long enough to make friends or build something lasting.

Ultimately, each of these very different people—all of them tied together by one tragic event—must learn in their own way how to say good-bye to the past and move into a brighter future.

“Ward masterfully builds a sense of dread with mundane details in the first section, and the way that she finds significance in moments of ordinary, everyday life is reminiscent of the work of Anne Tyler. This deeply empathetic novel deals sensitively with difficult subjects. . . . An insightful and psychologically astute story of ordinary people moving forward after personal tragedy.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

my thoughts:

Wow! What a brilliant story! I LOVED In The Aftermath by Jane Ward. It was simply put, an excellent read. 

Ward has written a compelling story that is character-driven, slow-paced, and unputdownable. There is loss, grief, guilt, and the mundane details of everyday life.  A family is broken and struggling to find answers, stay afloat, and move forward.  A detective is determined to right the wrongs she made in a case from a few years ago.  And, a young man is punishing himself by merely existing instead of living his life to the fullest.  These people are all connected by death and in this story we follow them as they try to figure out how to create a brighter future.  Their story is gripping and emotional - I found myself feeling all the feels. And, I found that I could not put this book down for anything. It grabbed me right from the start and I enjoyed every second I spent with it. I just loved getting to know these characters and rooting for them. In The Aftermath is definitely a new favorite of mine. 

I would happily recommend Jane Ward's novel, In The Aftermath to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will fall in deep with this one! Check it out!

Here's the link for the TLC Book Tour schedule: In the Aftermath

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!