The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard

Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey are complete opposites on paper. “This story particularly resonates now, in the throes of the #MeToo movement.”-Booklist Compulsively readable!” -Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year Does this lack of awareness come from a callousness or insensitivity to others, or is he simply blind to everything but his desire for revenge?Ĭonsider Olivia’s many fears throughout the book.“A complex look at the long-standing consequences of privilege and toxic masculinity…. What might be an appropriate punishment for an action-however unintentional-that has such deadly consequences?Ĭurtis doesn’t seem to believe he could ever cause harm to Olivia or Kathleen, although of course his actions could have a devastating effect on their lives, as well. Curtis believes the judicial system has failed where Robert Saenz is concerned. Robert Saenz, although a fictional character, could be all too real. Would you be able to forgive a person who caused serious injury or death to a loved one-even if that act was unintentional? Was it surprising that Kathleen was able to move on with her life while Curtis couldn’t seem to move past his anger? What causes parents to react differently to tragedies in their family? As time passes and the wound refuses to heal, Curtis becomes obsessed with the idea of revenge, a growing mania that leads him to pack up his life and his anxious teenage daughter and set out on a collision course to right a wrong.Īn emotionally charged novel, The Fragile World is a journey through America’s heartland and a family’s brightest and darkest moments, exploring the devastating pain of losing a child and the beauty of finding healing in unexpected ways. The anguish of loss is isolating, and it’s not long before this once-perfect family falls apart. Daniel has been killed in what the police are calling a “freak” road accident, and the remaining Kaufmans are left to flounder in their grief. Daniel is away at college on a prestigious music scholarship, and twelve year-old Olivia is a happy-go-lucky kid whose biggest concern is passing her next math test.Īnd then comes the middle-of-the-night phone call that changes everything. His wife, Kathleen, restores furniture for upscale boutiques. Curtis is a physics teacher at the local high school. The Kaufmans always considered themselves a normal, happy family.

From the author of the publishing sensation The Mourning Hours comes a powerful new novel that explores every parent’s worst nightmare.

The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard