The Outside of August

Critics and readers alike hailed Swimming, Joanna Hershon's fiction debut. "Compelling," said the Washington Post, while Vanity Fair called Swimming a "page-turning premiere." Now Hershon brings us her anticipated second novel, in which she vividly explores the secrets of an American family. The Outside of August is a mesmerizing, beautifully written story that combs the emotional landscape of its characters with power and precision.
For as long as Alice Green can remember, her elusive mother, Charlotte, has moved in and out of family life--disappearing relentlessly and often without explanation. Despite the exotic clutter of souvenirs that detail Charlotte's international travels, the Green's home becomes progressively hollow, as nothing but Charlotte can fill the empty spaces.
With their mother's tenuous presence, and their tender but distant father working long hours, Alice and her brother, August, react in different ways. While...