Tale of Two Ends

The part of this premise that earns our attention is everything a divorce cannot put on hold. A working mother discovers her husband's infidelity, but she still has a daughter to raise, a job to do and a mother whose health becomes another worry. Edward M. Krauss places the possibility of starting over inside a life already full of obligations.

That is a useful starting point for a relationship novel. Betrayal might happen between two people, but its consequences reach the whole household. A teenager can be hurting while her mother is hurting too. A family emergency can arrive before anyone has had time to recover. Even an encounter with the husband's lover belongs to the awkward, practical business of continuing to live in the same world.

We picked Tale of Two Ends for readers interested in that unsettled middle: after a relationship has broken, before a new life feels dependable. The author's description includes the uncomfortable return to dating, which raises a question more interesting than whether another partner will appear. How do you judge your own instincts after someone you trusted has made you doubt them?

Bring this one to a reading group that enjoys talking about second chances, parenting and the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Its premise gives those conversations somewhere concrete to begin. The reason to look closer is the woman rebuilding a life while other people still need her, including on the days when she needs help herself.