Between Friends

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“With precise and evocative prose, Kristy Kiernan weaves a story of family and history that is as nuanced and finely wrought as it is compelling.
Catching Genius
draws you in with its genuine characters, and it holds you there with its truthful exploration of the enduring bonds of love and family . . . This affecting novel shines a new light on the concept of genius—what it is and what it isn’t. And speaking of genius, Kristy Kiernan looks like a debut novelist who will be around for a long time to come.”

—Elizabeth Letts, author of
Family Planning

 

“A moving novel about forgiveness and the fragility of family.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“
Catching Genius
is the total package; a beautiful story beautifully told. Kristy Kiernan pulls you into a deep and fully realized world; exactly the place a reader wants to be taken.”

—Lorna Landvik,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The View from Mount Joy

 

“
Catching Genius
is simply mesmerizing, not only because it expertly captures the unbreakable bond between sisters. The novel also explores the many facets of very real characters, breathing life into the seamlessly plotted story line. This author’s first novel is a must-read for women’s fiction fans of all ages.”

—
BookPage

 

“Kristy Kiernan’s fluent storytelling and fully-drawn, credible characters make for an affecting novel. With effortless grace, her lyrical prose drops the reader into scenes rich with details and powerful emotions.
Catching Genius
is a stunning debut that will leave readers of Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve clamoring for more from this talented author.”

—Tasha Alexander, author of
A Poisoned Season

 

 

“
Catching Genius
is the real thing: a rich, compelling, and deeply nuanced story delivered in language that’s as luminous as it is authoritative. To judge by this affecting first novel, I’d say Kiernan’s the real thing, too.”

—Jon Clinch, author of
Finn

 

 

“A warm, moving novel about the power of familial bonds.”

—
Booklist

 

 

“In her beautifully written debut novel
Catching Genius
, Kristy Kiernan portrays the complexity of familial relationships with a depth, candor, and insight that can only be called exceptional.”

—Sandra Kring, author of
Thank You for All Things

 

 

“Kristy Kiernan deftly captures the complicated relationship between sisters and succeeds in showing the ways families can make us crazy and angry and lost, but ultimately, how families can and do save us. With her fine eye for detail and obvious love of the beach, math, and music, Kiernan draws the reader in to a family and lets us revel in a summer that reconciles the pain of their past and provides a glimpse of their hopeful future.”

—Judy Merrill Larsen, author of
All the Numbers

 

 

“What is there not to like about this novel? A beach setting. Love and heartbreak. Regret and redemption. And a plot with surprising twists and turns that will leave your hankie damp and your heart feeling good.”

—Ad Hudler, author of
Man of the House

 

 

“Kiernan writes about family, forgiveness, and the allure of the Gulf Coast with authority and assurance, producing a smoothly plotted story peppered with revelations that lead to a rousing, heartfelt finish.”

—
Mostly Fiction

“Gripping.”

—
Miami Herald

 

 

“
Matters of Faith
was so good and true and real that I forgot I was reading a book. I felt as though I was standing helplessly beside good people whose ordinary family life is slowly, inexorably tumbling into the darkness of the unknown.”

—Jacquelyn Mitchard

 

 

“Tense, well-paced . . . The thoughtful themes, interesting characters, and page-turning drama of this novel will likely make it a book club favorite.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

 

“Kiernan’s stunning second novel explores how one family reacts to a devastating tragedy . . . Unforgettable and moving, [
Matters of Faith
] is an achingly real portrait of a family in crisis, one readers will react to passionately.”

 

 

“Kiernan’s compelling narrative offers a heartbreaking study of the fragility of family ties.”

—
St. Petersburg Times

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2010 by Kristy Kiernan.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

BERKLEY
^®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley trade paperback edition / April 2010

 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 

Kiernan, Kristy.

Between friends / Kristy Kiernan.—Berkley trade pbk. ed. p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-40426-3

1. Motherhood—Fiction. 2. Best friends—Fiction. 3. Female friendship—Fiction. 4. Life change event—Fiction. 5. Frozen human embryos—Fiction. 6. Human embryo—Transplantation—Moral and ethical aspects—Fiction. 7. Domestic fiction. I. Title.

PS3611.I4455B47 2010

813’.6—dc22

2009043931

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can tell from the dedications, life during the writing of
Between Friends
was dark. But the following people made things easier and provided light, and I am in their debt:

My agent, Anne Hawkins.

My editor, Jackie Cantor.

My publicist, Kathryn Tumen.

And the entire Berkley team: publisher Leslie Gelbman, editorial director Susan Allison; managing editor Jessica McDonnell, editorial assistant Niti Bagchi, copyeditor Amy J. Schneider, and the art, text design, marketing, and publicity departments all contributed to making this book the best it could be.

For their support, professionally and personally, thank you to Tasha Alexander, Montese Miller Crandall, Amy MacKinnon, J. D. Rhoades, and Janna Underhill. Your friendship is an honor.

Thank you to the following for their selfless contributions: photo goddess Amy Nichols; Toastie blogger, kidney patient, and animal lover David Seidman; angels of the North Naples Dialysis Center: Jeanetta Tepper, Pam Hall, and Emmanuela Baptiste; and Associate Professor John C. Orr of the University of Portland.

My appreciation to both the Kiernan and Claiborne families, and additional thanks to Elizabeth and Russ for their many kindnesses over the years, as well as to Natalie Cox Watts, who cracks me up and produced the most adorable, brilliant child ever: Ian.

My favorite book club, The Divas of Naples, is a source of inspiration and grand examples of the kind of woman I want to grow up to be.

Finally, my heartfelt gratitude to my husband, Richard Kiernan, for his loving support, sense of humor, and unwavering belief in me and in our life together.