Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane tells the story of two families: The Gleesons and the Stanhopes. They are next door neighbours in a growing area outside of New York City. The story is about both families, but the central characters are Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope. Peter is my favourite character. They meet in elementary school and become best of friends.
Peter's mother, Anne has a mental illness and she is not like the other moms. This causes tension in her marriage to Brian and between the two families. When Kate and Peter are in 8th grade something happens that will change things forever.
Although relationships around them are crumbling, Kate and Peter still love each other. They are separated and must find their way back to one another even if it goes against the wishes of their families. Will they be able to put the past behind them and make a life of their own? They learn that sometimes looking at something as adults is different than a child's perspective.
This is a family drama and character driven book. If that's your thing, you will love this novel. It asks the question: what if I had done something differently, how would that have changed things? It shows the cycle of life, how history can repeat itself or how we can make changes for the better. It deals with marriage, mental illness, alcoholism, and ultimately forgiveness.
This is the first book I've read by Mary Beth Keane and I would definitely read more of her work.
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