Leaving Haven: A Novel
Georgia Bing and Alice Kinnaird have been friends for most of their adult lives. Georgia operates her own baking business, while Alice is a respected college professor. Both are raising teenage daughters and have established marriages. So when Georgia becomes desperate to have a second child, Alice is more than willing to donate her eggs. But as Georgia’s pregnancy is nearing its end, she discovers that her ­husband, John, and Alice are having an affair. The news turns Georgia’s well-ordered life upside down, and she is left to sort out not only the state of her marriage and her friendship with Alice but her role as mother to newborn Haven. McCleary (A Simple Thing, 2012) again skillfully examines the intricacies of love, marriage, friendship, and parenthood. Her smooth, clear prose allows readers to climb easily and fully into the lives of well-crafted characters. Leaving Haven is a deeply engaging story of two families navigating tricky emotional waters and making surprising discoveries along the way, a gentle reminder of the strength and flexibility of the family. --Carol Gladstein