“A beautiful novel, bursting at the seams with empathy.” —Elle
A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
How much can a family forgive? 
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.
About the Author
Mary Beth Keane attended Barnard College and the University of Virginia, where she received an MFA. She has been named one of the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35,” and was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship for fiction writing. She currently lives in Pearl River, New York with her husband and their two sons. She is also the author of The Walking People, Fever, and Ask Again, Yes.
Praise For…
“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
“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
“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
“Remarkable.”
—Booklist
“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)
“Thoughtful, compassionate… illustrates the mutability of memory and the softening effects of time… poignantly demonstrates how grace can emerge from forgiveness.”
—Publishers Weekly
“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
“Mary Beth Keane combines Joan Didion’s exacting eye for detail with the emotional wallop of Alice McDermott. From the ache of first love to the recognition that the people closest to us are flawed and human, Ask Again, Yes is a moving testament to the necessary act of forgiveness. It is heartbreaking, hopeful, and honest.”
—Brendan Mathews, author of The World of Tomorrow
“Beautifully observed. . . . Ask Again, Yes is a tale that will compel readers to think deeply about the ravages of unacknowledged mental illness, questions of family love and loyalty, and the arduous journey towards forgiveness.” —BookPage, starred review
Big things are happening at The Studios of Key West, the arts organization that Books & Books @ The Studios is part of. We are moving our artists residences into the neighboring building on Eaton Street and construction is well underway for our new rooftop terrace, Hugh’s View.
Additionally, The Studios has purchased the neighboring historic guesthouse at 529 Eaton Street, and will use the new space for its month-long artist residencies. The move from the artist residences on Ashe Street increases the residency space and puts the artists in the thick of everything happening at The Studios. Through the residency program, The Studios hosts writers, musicians, actors, painters, photographers and other artists, enhancing the Keys dynamic, creative community.
Books & Books @ The Studios is primarily a vendor of print books. But if you’re a digital book fan, don’t despair. We’ve got a system for you that supplies e-books and let’s you help the our finances at the same time with a commission on every purchase.
Pre-Order a Signed First Edition of the new novel THE NICKEL BOYS (out July 16th) by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Colson Whitehead.
Thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers. We had a great high season and we are grateful for all of your help, at events, keeping the store looking beautiful and neat, helping customers find their #nextfavoriteread.
Dylan Thuras, co-author of The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid, will be on hand for a presentation and book signing at Horace O’Bryant School on Nov. 15. A New York Times bestseller, The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid by Dylan Thuras, with co-author Rosemary Mosco and illustrator Joy Ang is a fun, educational book showcasing the world’s wonders. Order your student’s copy online and we’ll deliver it the day of the event.
A follow-up to the runaway success of Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders, this new middle-grade book is a stunning, full-color illustrated journey to 100 real destinations in 47 countries on every continent. Fun extras like a handy packing list, a world map, obscure facts, GPS coordinates, and useful travel advice are also sprinkled throughout the text. With each turn of the page, readers embark on a worldwide daisy chain voyage between common points of interest.
