Lovely, touching, and emotional. Sue Miller is a specially writer and really evokes a well rounded feeling of place. I loved this book.

This is such a beautiful story of a marriage, flawed as every marriage is, but beautiful and important nonetheless. I’ve read a number of books by Sue Miller, and she has always struck me with her ability to take the mundane experiences of life and to imbue them with a sort of luminescence. In this case, the light shines on the long marriage of larger-than-life Graham, and his second wife, Annie. I listened to this book, read by the author, and Miller’s voice has a timbre and cadence of one later in life that brings a strong sense of honesty to the story. While listening, and between listens, I thought and I thought and I thought about my own life, my own marriage, and what it means to love an inevitably flawed human being and to BE inevitably flawed myself. How our connections with others seem to be fully understood only in their absence. This was a powerful book that I’m so very glad to have experienced and that will stay with me for a long time. It has helped me process my life thus far, and will hopefully remain with me as I move into what is to come.

This is a story of Graham and Anne who have been married 30 years. They are they envy of all their friends. Graham suddenly dies and Annie is lost. When he is mourning him and feeling like she can't go on without him, Annie finds out that Graham had been unfaithful to her.
This would be a great book for book clubs. Lots of good questions about love, faithfulness and family.

Sue Miller is such a fabulous writer, I loved this book. I loved each persons point of view, how well the reader feels as if they know each character. I love the relationships and the surprise of it all.

I was not a fan of this book personally. I found the story very contrived and uninteresting. That said, I think it’s a novel that other readers will enjoy and is good for book clubs as well.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I didn’t. I like books that deal with the complexities of relationships, but this didn’t work for me for several reasons.

But first, let me start with the positives: Sue Miller has a wonderful way of writing that is very intimate and eloquent. Her characters are deep and nuanced, and the way she describes relationships is filled with emotional truth. The reflective nature of the book felt peaceful.

The reasons I did not enjoy the book are that, for one, it was too slow and quiet. I am ok with character driven novels, but this was too slow. The characters, although well-developed, never resonated with me. I couldn’t identify with them. Maybe it’s the class/race/generational gaps, or maybe I just didn’t feel that connection for whatever reason.

I’ve recently read a few books that bring to mind the themes in this novel- but, in my opinion, did a better job of exploring them. All Adults Here by Emma Straub deals with family dynamics and secrets in an entertaining way. 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand has at it’s heart the issue of infidelity, and tackles the issue with as much seriousness as Monogamy, but in a more compelling way. And Afterlife by Julia Alvarez centers on a character who is grieving the death of her long-time spouse, in a way that is as emotionally true as Monogamy but that I felt deeper in my heart.

I would still recommend this to readers who are fans of quiet, character-driven books and beautiful writing.

The title was a bit misleading. Sure, there's a marriage in the story, several in fact, but it's more about grief and a woman examining her life and the choices that she made along the way.

I keep hearing about this book a haunting insightful novel, engrossing , about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow. When I read this book I felt the mourning of a man but also an idea of the perfect marriage.

Sue Miller is, no doubt, a talented writer. For me, I just didn't latch on to the story at the heart of the novel but I appreciate Miller's ability to bring movement to the quiet premise.

A subtle story revolving around the long marriage of Annie and Graham and the aftermath of his passing.
Slow and deliberate, like listening to a friend share her story

This novel took my breath away. I’ve always been a fan of the “quiet” novels—the ones that forego heavy action and, instead, trust the reader with the characters’ struggles and incredibly intimate thoughts. On the surface, this is a novel about grief in all its various layers, but an ember of hope burns throughout. Though this is my first time reading a novel by Sue Miller, this definitely isn’t my last. I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Thought provoking look at the complexities of marriage and monogamy. Annie and Graham have what looks like an ideal marriage; however below the surface they each struggle with what marriage is and their relationships with friends and family.

Sue Miller does a fabulous job of presenting family relationships in an honest and multi-faceted way. Second marriages, cheating spouses, step-children and blended families are all too familiar today and she really captures the essence of trying to negotiate through relationships between spouses, grown children and parents. This is going to make a great book club pick.

I loved this novel - it was just what I was in the mood for after a series of fast-paced thrillers. I found something relatable in every character in this novel - for better or worse. I hadn't read the description and so was fairly surprised at some of the turns it took but I think it was better that way! She's a brilliant writer.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I still remember Miller's book, "The Good Mother," from awhile back. Once again, she does such a great job of making her characters come alive. You really feel that you know what they are feeling, why they are feeling the way they do, and the conclusions they arrive at. However, I didn't especially connect with the characters or their attitudes about their relationships with their children. That, however, is the sign of a good author, in getting the reader to feel that way.
The story grated a bit on me but the writing was superb. I could easily visualize the book's setting and the conversations that took place.

Wow, was this a deep dive into some unconventional characters who deal with love, loss, infidelity, and time. It covers more than 30 years in the lives of Annie and Graham and weaves so much into one book.

This is Annie and Graham's second marriage and it has been strong for 30 years. His first wife and the son from that marriage live nearby and are very much a part of their lives. Frieda and Annie are close friends and there have been times in Lucas' life when she was the parent he could relate to. Their daughter, Sarah, is also entwined with Graham's first family in a very good way.

Graham is larger than life both physically and emotionally, very much like he has his own gravity that people orbit around. He owns a bookshop and he and Annie hold big dinners regularly with friends and visiting authors. She is a photographer and is in a bit of a lull with her career. And then Graham dies unexpectedly. Immediately, the air seems to go out of everything. The vivacious noise and activity ceases and Annie is left alone and lost.

This book is a slow burn. It is almost all character development and the reader feels very much connected. It is a book that will stay on my mind for a long time.

My thanks to Harper and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sue Miller at her best! I loved this book and it’s exploration of a relationship and marriage between two people with vastly different personalities. It made a distinction between monogamy of the heart and monogamy of the body. There is nothing to fault in this beautifully written novel.

This is classic Sue Miller--the most interesting characters in interesting circumstances with interesting things happening to them. But yet, if you were to meet these people on the street you would never know it. This story tells the tale of widowhood and all of the emotions that goes with it. It also reveals all the repercussions of a death on a family from the ex-wife to the children. After reading this book, I only hope if I am ever in Annie's position, I can deal with it in the dignified manner that she did.

Annie and Graham have an enduring happy marriage. They have a wonderful group of family and friends, a daughter Sarah who is especially close to her father. They are close to Lucas, Graham's son by his first marriage, and a lovely friendship with Graham's ex-wife. Graham owns a bookstore which is at the center of their community.

When Graham dies unexpectedly, Annie finds that her marriage may not have been exactly what she believed. As she processes her grief with the support of her friends and family, she comes to terms with Graham's death and the wonderful marriage they had despite some ups and downs.

At first I wasn't sure I liked this book, but I loved it in once I got into it.
It is important to read that happy marriages don't have to be perfect, and that it is possible to move forward and find happiness after great loss.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.