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A family saga that is timely in its examination of some of the most important issues of our era, and timeless in its exploration of the strange and unexpected places where we find love.
For ten summers,
the Seton family—all three generations—met at their country home in New
England to spend a week together playing tennis, badminton, and golf, and
savoring gin and tonics on the wraparound porch to celebrate the end of the
season. In the eleventh summer, everything changed. A hunting rifle with a
single cartridge left in the chamber wound up in exactly the wrong hands at
exactly the wrong time, and led to a nightmarish accident that put to the test
the values that unite the family—and the convictions that just may pull it
apart.
Before You Know Kindness is a family saga that is timely in its
examination of some of the most important issues of our era, and timeless in its
exploration of the strange and unexpected places where we find love.
As he did with his earlier masterpiece, Midwives, Chris Bohjalian has
written a novel that is rich with unforgettable characters—and absolutely
riveting in its page-turning intensity.
The sun was up over
Washington, Lafayette, and the trio of nearby cannonball-shaped mountains that
were called the Three Graces, and Nan Seton—elderly but far from frail—sat
sipping her morning coffee on a chaise lounge on the Victorian house's
wraparound porch. She noted how the sun was rising much later now than it had
even two or three weeks ago: It was already the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth of
July (it disturbed her that she couldn't grab the precise date right now from
the air), and her children would be arriving tomorrow. Friday.
A golden retriever—old like her but not nearly so energetic—lolled near her
feet on the outdoor rug.
She had been on the porch close to half an hour and even the coffee in the
stovetop percolator she had brought outside with her was cold, when she heard
her granddaughters pound their way down the stairs. The older girl, Charlotte,
was twelve; the younger one, Willow (a name that drove Grandmother crazy both...
BookBrowsers Ask Author Chris Bohjalian
My favorite novel of yours (of the five or so I've read) is The Sandcastle Girls. I confess I'd never heard of the Armenian Genocide, and it was eye-opening to learn about it - thanks for that. I know your heritage is Armenian. If it's not too personal, can you tell us what kind of connection you...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (04/10/2025)
I'm doing something I rarely do, and that's reread a book. Not only am I rereading * Lessons in Chemistry for the upcoming BookBrowse book group discussion, but I'm listening to Skeletons at the Feast in prep for the discussion here with Chris Bohjalian next week. I read that one many years ago (...
-kim.kovacs
Libby, Emily, and Jubilee all have to endure months of not knowing the fates of their loved ones who are at war. In their situation, is hope a positive force, or is it a liability?
I actually admire their ability to have hope. I'm not sure I would be able to - I've been accused of being a "glass half empty" gal plenty of times. Especially in this kind of war - there were weeks and months of not knowing or hearing anything, and no expectation that they would hear from their ...
-Stephanie_P
If you’ve read other books by this author, how do they compare to this one? How, in your opinion, does his writing bring to life the intersection of chance and choice?
I've read seven other books by Chris Bohjalian, including Buffalo Soldiers , Midwives , Before You Know Kindness , and most recently The Lioness , and have several more on my TBR, including Hour of the Witch and The Princess of Las Vegas . In my experience you can't go wrong with a book by Bohjal...
-Karen_Belyea
Julia Glass, Winner of the National Book Award
Once again, Chris Bohjalian dares to tackle the complexities — and
complacencies — of modern society at its most vulnerable spot, where the
personal clashes with the political, where the private is forced to go public.
And once again, he forges a drama that will keep his readers on the edge of
their seats . . . perhaps their conscience as well. Richard Russo, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Chris Bohjalian's many fans will be glad to know he's back on the high
wire, expertly balancing topical issues with the more timeless concerns of the
human heart. His well- drawn, sympathetic characters deepen and intensify the
novel's gripping plot rather than simply serving it. Before You Know Kindness is
smart, first-rate storytelling.
If you liked Before You Know Kindness, try these:
by Liz Rosenberg
Published 2013
An exquisite tour de force, The Laws of Gravity is a testament to what it means to be a family, what it takes to save a life, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
by Nancy Reisman
Published 2005
Set in Buffalo, New York in the 1930s and '40s, The First Desire is a book of great emotional power that brings to life the weave of love, grief, tradition, and desire that binds a family together.
The Sister's Curse
by Nicola Solvinic
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
by Chanel Cleeton
The Vanishing Place
by Zoë Rankin
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Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor
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