Mary Beth Keane New York Times bestselling author of The Half Moon and Ask Again, Yes

Praise for The Half Moon

Absorbing . . . it’s such a pleasure to sink into Keane’s quietly luminous prose . . . She manages to find the extraordinary grace in our achingly ordinary world.”

—Janice Y.K. Lee, The New York Times Book Review

Poignant . . . class differences underlie personal strife as the couple struggles with adultery, fertility and civility.”

—Bethanne Patrick, The Los Angeles Times

Deft, satisfying. . . . Keane writes in a realist vein–the vivid, domesticated world of Anne Tyler, of William Trevor, of Elizabeth Strout—but her insights into matters of the heart, longing and restlessness especially, have astonishing delicacy.”

—Vogue, Most Anticipated Books of 2023

An insightful, riveting study of marriage.”

—People

Keane’s prose is luminous and controlled, brimming with insights into her nuanced characters . . . a gripping read with an unexpected and satisfying resolution.”

—The Minneapolis Star Tribune

A tale of midlife musings on second chances.”

—TIME

Praise for Ask Again, Yes

One of the most unpretentiously profound books I’ve read in a long time… Keane writes with deep familiarity and precision about the lives of this particular generation… As a writer, Keane reminds me a lot of Ann Patchett: Both have the magical ability to seem to be telling ‘only’ a closely-observed domestic tale that transforms into something else deep and, yes, universal. In Keane’s case, that ‘something else’ is a story about forgiveness and acceptance… modestly magnificent.”

— Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

A beautiful novel, bursting at the seams with empathy.

— Brianna Kovan, Elle

A profound story… Keane’s gracefully restrained prose gives her characters dignity… shows how difficult forgiveness can be—and how it amounts to a kind of hard-won grace.”

— Vogue

Keane writes with acute sensitivity and her characters are consistently, authentically lived-in. . . . smartly told.”

—Entertainment Weekly

I devoured this astonishing tale of two families linked by chance, love, and tragedy. Mary Beth Keane gives us characters so complex and alive that I find myself still thinking of them days after turning the final page. A must-read.”

— J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Saints for All Occasions

Mary Beth Keane takes on one of the most difficult problems in fiction—how to write about human decency. In Ask Again, Yes, Keane creates a layered emotional truth that makes a compelling case for compassion over blame, understanding over grudge, and the resilience of hearts that can accept the contradictions of love.”

— Louise Erdrich, author of The Round House

Ask Again, Yes is a powerful and moving novel of family, trauma, and the defining moments in people’s lives. Mary Beth Keane is a writer of extraordinary depth, feeling and wit. Readers will love this book, as I did.”

— Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion

Mary Beth Keane looks past the veneer that covers ordinary moments and into the very heart of real life. There’s a Tolstoyan gravity, insight, and moral heft in these pages, and Keane’s ability to plumb the depths of authentic feeling while avoiding sentimentality leaves one shaking one’s head in frank admiration. This wonderful book is so many things: a gripping family drama; a sensitive meditation on mental illness; a referendum on the power and cost of loyalty; a ripping yarn that takes us down into the depths and back up; in short, a triumph.”

— Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves

Keane’s story embraces family lives in all their muted, ordinary, yet seismic shades… offers empathy and the long view… Tender and patient, the novel avoids excessive sweetness while planting itself deep in the soil of commitment and attachment. Graceful and mature. A solidly satisfying, immersive read.”

— Kirkus (starred review)

Mary Beth Keane is at the height of her powers in this novel about the sacrifices we make when we choose to build a life with someone. In Ask Again Yes, Keane tells a story about the fragility of happiness, the violence lurking beneath everyday life, and, ultimately, the power of love. If you’ve ever loved someone beyond reason, you will love this wise, tender, and beautiful book.”

— Eleanor Henderson, author of Ten Thousand Saints