In the Aftermath

A Novel

by Jane Ward

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Pub Date Sep 21 2021 | Archive Date Oct 01 2021

She Writes Press

General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction

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Description

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.

A Note From the Publisher

JANE WARD is the author of Hunger (Forge 2001) and The Mosaic Artist. She graduated from Simmons College with a degree in English literature and began working almost immediately in the food and hospitality industry: private events planner with Creative Gourmets in Boston, planner of corporate parties at The 95th Restaurant in Chicago, and weekend baker at Quebrada Bakery in Arlington, Massachusetts. She has been a contributing writer for the online regional and seasonal food magazine Local In Season and a blogger and occasional host of cooking videos for MPN Online, an internet recipe resource affiliated with several newspapers across the country. Although a Massachusetts native, Jane recently settled in Chicago after returning to the US from Switzerland.

JANE WARD is the author of Hunger (Forge 2001) and The Mosaic Artist. She graduated from Simmons College with a degree in English literature and began working almost immediately in the food and...

Advance Praise

“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

"...a masterful novel in which a man’s suicide leaves indelible marks on those left behind."

—Foreword Clarion Reviews

"Jane Ward's powerful, emotionally complex novel offers timeless lessons about how easy it is for us to make mistakes, how much we all deserve forgiveness, and how much hope and love are still possible even in the aftermath of tremendous loss."

—Holly Robinson, author of Beach Plum Island and Chance Harbor

“Jane Ward’s brave and sensitive account of the aftermath of tragedy will touch your heart and renew your hope. Ward’s lovely prose, fine appreciation for setting, and well-drawn, recognizable characters make In the Aftermath an all-around winner. Prepare to meet new friends, surrounded by the enticing aromas of fresh baked goods.”

—Elisabeth Elo, author of Finding Katarina M. and North of Boston

“Set in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, In the Aftermath compassionately yet uncompromisingly explores how an unexpected and devastating loss affects those connected to it. From the first page, I was drawn into this beautifully written and deeply explored story of grief and redemption, and couldn’t put the book down until I’d reached the last page. I highly recommend this intimate and compelling portrait of people struggling to heal after their lives are upended by tragedy.”

—Sybil Baker, author of While You Were Gone and Into This World