A mother- and daughter-in-law. To move on, one of them will have to move out in a hopeful and hilarious novel about widowhood and family friction by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.

It’s 1963, two years since Barbara Feldman’s husband died. Raising two kids, she’s finally emerging from her cocoon of grief. Not yet a butterfly, but she’s anxious to spread her wings.

Then one day her mother-in-law, Ruth, shows up on her doorstep with five suitcases, expecting a room of her own with a suitable mattress. Abrasive and stuck in her ways yet well meaning, Mother Ruth arrives without warning to help with the children. How can Barbara say no to a woman who is not only a widow herself but also a grieving mother? As Ruth’s prickly visit turns from days to weeks to what seems like forever, Barbara realizes Ruth has got to go. But Barbara has an ingenious plan: introduce Ruth to some fine gentlemen and marry her off as fast as she can.

Soon enough, something tells Barbara that Ruth is trying to do the same for her. At least they’re finding common ground—helping each other to move forward. Even if it is in the most unpredictable ways two totally different women ever imagined.

Sara Goodman Confino is the bestselling author of five novels: Don’t Forget to Write, Behind Every Good Man, She’s Up to No Good, For the Love of Friends, and Good Grief. After spending more years than she’s willing to publicly admit teaching high school English and journalism, she is currently writing full-time and trying to make a living off the crazy stories in her head. She lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, with her husband, two sons, two miniature schnauzers, and a goldfish that seems to be vying for the world record of longest-living fish. When she’s not writing or frantically parenting, she can be found on her Peloton, at the beach, or at a Bruce Springsteen concert, sometimes even dancing onstage.