Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
The book starts in 1973 and stretches over four decades. We meet Peter and Kate, born 4 months apart with dads, Brian and Francis, both policemen and colleagues. The “twin families” start off being connected through the dads, but soon the two main narrators take over.
Peter and Kate grow in sleepy Gillam next door to each other and are forever bound together by a tragedy of profound consequences - impossible to forget, and hard to forgive.
The tragedy happens early on in the book setting the tone and underlying layer of the story. However – there are layers upon layers in this book, and to some readers it might seem slow, but to most (also based on this book’s popularity) it defines the characters, describes some really tough subjects like mental illness, alcoholism, violence and marital problems. The novel takes the time (and pages) to get under the skin of the families and their issues. Nothing is perfect.
Peter grows up affected by his mother’s mental illness, which also makes him resilient and determined. But you still feel sorry for him as he struggles to find his own way in life and watch most of the adults abandoning. Kate grows up wondering where her place in the story is and why she is so affected by things that have happened to others. She is extremely mature and expresses some very interesting thinking in the book. I felt challenged by her.
And at the end of the book, you must ask yourself what choice you would make in the same situation and where you would find the strength to move past a tragedy.
It is an amazingly well written drama with a story and characters and I find it among the best books published in 2019. Enjoy this mature and solid book, and I promise that it will end exactly where it is supposed to end.
Also, pick it up if you liked ‘On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ by Ocean Vuong or ‘The Dutch House’ by Ann Patchett.
Happy reading!