Truth of the Matter

Beck returns to small-town Potomac Point (first visited in If You Must Know) in this memorable and deeply felt contemporary. Anne Sullivan and her teenage daughter, Katy, move to Potomac Point hoping for a fresh start far away from Anne’s soon-to-be ex-husband and his new lover. When Anne hires Dan Foley, her high school crush, to renovate her grandparents’ house so she and Katy can move in, Dan discovers a box of mysterious memorabilia from Anne’s grandmother’s past—including photographs of a man who is not her grandfather. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for Anne to get answers about it from her grandmother, who’s suffering from dementia and fighting the demons of regret. Meanwhile, the move and the drawn-out divorce exacerbate Katy’s previously ignored mental health issues. Anne must find a way to help both of her loved ones while also finding time to remember who she is outside of her family’s demands on her. Beck spins a poignant, multigenerational coming-of-age tale as these three women navigate their identities, dreams, and love lives. Complex and introspective, this is by turns heart-wrenching and infectiously hopeful. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.)