The triumphant New York Times Bestseller * The Tonight Show Summer Reads Pick * Named one of the best books of the year by People, Vogue, Parade, NPR, and Elle “This is one beautiful book. I was wowed by Keane’s writing and narrative skill–and by what she knows about trouble.” –Stephen King How much can a family forgive? Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie NYPD cops, are neighbors in …
How much can a family forgive?
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie NYPD cops, are neighbors in the suburbs. What happens behind closed doors in both houses–the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
In Mary Beth Keane’s extraordinary novel, a lifelong friendship and love blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next thirty years. Heartbreaking and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes is a gorgeous and generous portrait of the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness.
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Not as good as all the hype!
A heartbreaking story of two families, tragedy, love,and forgiveness.
This was such a good story about folks who suffered misfortune but kept trying to improve their lives, sometimes with success and sometimes not.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I thought it was wonderful!!
Interesting to dive into the Irish-American community of New York City cops. Tragedy and redemption. Beautiful writing.
Kate and Peter are the couple you think you shouldn’t root for, but can’t help yourself. A riveting book about growing up under the shadow of tragedy and overcoming it.
Interesting but sad.
What does the title even mean?
The book is written from several characters’ points of view, yet still flows fairly well. Sometimes the jump takes away from the continuity, the cancer storyline is never spelled out, for example.
Likeable, forgivable, stereotypical characters for the most part. Blah ending.
Oh, my heart! Oh, this book! It’s a multi-generational family epic about love and forgiveness, but I won’t say more because I actually think it’s best to go in not knowing much about what to expect. Keane’s writing is bursting with empathy, and manages to be both so clean and so poetic at the same time. I absolutely devoured this novel, semi-terrified the whole time that bad things were going to happen to these characters who I’d grown to love, wanting so badly for Kate and Peter and all the rest of them to just be okay!
This is the story of the Gleeson and Stanhope families. Living next door to each other for years yet never really knowing what was going on behind closed doors in each other’s homes. Kate – the youngest Gleeson child and Peter – the only Stanhope child develop a friendship early on in their lives that grows into a love affair as they get older. Time ticks by quickly in the story as Kate and Peter navigate family strife and a terrible tragedy that lead them into a lifelong struggles.
This was an okay book. The story was just…..fine. The passage of time was a problem for us. The story skipped ahead so fast that it really didn’t make me feel much for the characters at all. It covers more than half the life of Kate and Peter not really taking the time to develop their life story on a deeper level.
It was just….eh. I didn’t finish it wish there was more or being drawn to any of the characters. So I would say skip it.
Very good — and will look forward to the movie version, too. This is a look at 2 neighboring families. Both men work in the city for law enforcement. One family has 3 daughters and the other 1 son. The youngest daughter and son are inseparable friends until about age 14 when there is a tragedy that changes the world of both families…. We travel along with them before and after this tragedy and how that event and the experience of the years both transform and reinforce their personalities.
This is an emotional story that will make your heart ache at times. The lives of two families are explored and you will experience the things that affect most couples. From mental health issues to addiction to cancer….you will walk through these with the Gleesons and the Stanhopes.
I love stories that delve into human relationships and the myriad complications that are threaded throughout the book. The author does a great job of developing the characters and making you invested in their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. This was definitely a thought provoking novel.
A complicated story of two young police officers who meet on the job and larer become neighbors. Two of their children are particularly close. An accident happems that forever alters all of their lives. As they grow older one daughter wants tobbting about redemption between the two families because she is now martied to thre son of the man who got shot. She wants their families to forgive and tp thr right thing. Redemption is hard for her because her father wss injured and wound up having to sm early retirement. There has always bern a tension between the families and niw the son has started to have a drinking problem. The family needs to rally around each other more than ever. The shooter. The married son’s mother is out of the mental institution she has been in and living on her own. The whole families are efge wondering if she will shot or harm again. But, her soon needs her help now. What wil happen when people address mental illness, alcoholism, family fears, etc? Will it help or hurt the situatiin?
I couldn’t put it down, a real page-turner that was both tragic and somewhat life-afirming.
Couldn’t finish
I can easily see why it is touted as One of the Best Books of the Year. I was completely enamored by the writing style and story!
This saga spans decades, and veins into each of the characters stories told from their perspective. The book has a nicely sectioned timeline making the plot easy to follow as it segues into each phase of the characters lives.
Captivating and full of detail this medium paced novel is a meaty and rewarding read.
Although I normally prefer to read crime novels and psychological thrillers, as have to say that I am so glad that I read this wonderful, sad but beautiful novel. I cried several times while reading it and highly recommend it to every adult in the universe! I absolutely loved it.
I read this 6 months ago. I can’t forget it. Great from book club because the minute I finished it all I wanted to do is discuss it.
Pretty good story with some touching moments, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the characters enough to make it a memorable read.
I used to think, coming of age, referred to someone of a young age stepping into adulthood. Ask Again, Yes is most definitely a coming of age story, but what intrigued me most was how it was not only the children in the story who came of age, it was also the adults, as they came to understand the consequence of the choices they made throughout their lifetime. A thought provoking family drama that spans generations with wonderful characters and world building.