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Jessica Strawser's A Million Reasons Why is "a fascinating foray into the questions we are most afraid to ask" (Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author)--the story of two women who discover a bond between them that will change both their lives forever.
The Penguin Bookshop Writers Series will host author Jessica Strawser to celebrate the launch of her latest novel, A Million Reasons Why! Jessica will be joined by fellow author Kirstin Bair to discuss A Million Reasons Why, the writing process, and everything in between. The conversation should last approximately one hour, and will conclude with a Q&A from the audience. This event will be held virtually via Zoom.
This is a ticketed event, and advance registration through EVENTBRITE is required. Tickets include a copy of A Million Reasons Why along with a signed bookplate. Tickets range $28-33.
JESSICA STRAWSER is the author of the book club favorites Almost Missed You, Not That I Could Tell (a Book of the Month selection) and Forget You Know Me. She is Editor-at-Large for Writer's Digest, and her work has appeared in The New York Times' Modern Love , Publishers Weekly, and other fine venues. She lives with her husband and two children in Cincinnati.
Kristin Bair is the author of the novel Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything. Under the name Kristin Bair O’Keeffe, she has published two novels, The Art of Floating and Thirsty, as well as numerous essays about China, bears, adoption, off-the-plot expats, and more. Her work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Baltimore Review, The Manifest-Station, Flying: Journal of Writing and Environment, The Christian Science Monitor, Poets & Writers Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and other publications.
Kristin has an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in English and journalism from Indiana University, Bloomington. As a speaker and writing instructor, her peripatetic nature has landed her in classrooms and conferences around the globe, from Chicago to Boston to Shanghai, China, and many places in between. A native Pittsburgher, Kristin now lives north of Boston with her husband and two kiddos. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @kbairokeeffe.
When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it's an answered prayer-that is, for one half-sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true. But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen. Caroline lives a full, happy life-thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn't have scripted it better. Except for one thing: She's about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong. Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother and lifelong best friend passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries about what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn't find a donor match in time. She's the only one who knows Caroline is her half-sister. That Caroline may be her best hope for a future. But Sela's world isn't as clear-cut as it appears-and one misstep could destroy it all. After all, would you risk everything to save the life of the person who turned yours upside down? From the moment Caroline meets Sela, both must reexamine what it really means to be family, the depths of a mother's love, and the limits and the power of forgiveness.
“A fascinating foray into the questions we are most afraid to ask: what constitutes family, what are our obligations to those we love, where does American healthcare fail the most, what secrets are unforgivable? And in case you need another reason to read this book: there are two massive twists you’ll never see coming.”
— #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult
“A MILLION REASONS WHY is a heartbreaking, absorbing story with an irresistible premise. Strawser skillfully explores what it means to be family, to rethink the pivotal hinge points in a person’s life.”
—Angie Kim, bestselling author of Miracle Creek
“Strawser’s characters are so layered and flawed and human that I came to care about them deeply. Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this astute exploration of the bonds and limitations of family is a perfect book club pick.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, internationally bestselling author of Never Have I Ever
“This book has it all: betrayal, lost loves, family secrets—and a killer twist I didn’t see coming. A powerful and poignant tale with characters that burrowed their way into my heart and will stay with me for a long time.”
—Colleen Oakley, bestselling author of Close Enough to Touch
“Strawser’s gripping novel about two women struggling to forge a sibling bond amid the landmines of infidelity, manipulation, and moral dilemmas has more twists than a corkscrew.”
—Juliette Fay, bestselling author of The Tumbling Turner Sisters
“Book clubs will delight in untangling the moral Gordian knot presented here; there are no easy answers, and the ground shifts as the story unfolds. I was riveted, torn, and, at the end, satisfied.”
—Sonja Yoerg, Washington Post bestselling author of True Places
“Through richly drawn characters and a few satisfying plot twists, Strawser handles difficult questions with thoughtful, page-turning prose. A must-read!”
—Susan Gloss, bestselling author of Vintage
“Strawser wrapped me in hope and fear as I raced to the end—filled with the gotta-know until the final words.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, author of Waisted
