Ask Me Again: A novel
General fiction, Family stories, Serious and literary fiction
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST • From the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist, whose short stories received instant acclaim (&“Sparingly told, evoked with lacerating intimacy . . . Extraordinary&”—Esquire), a debut novel about a young woman&’s coming of… age, and the singular friendship that challenges her values, her beliefs, and the course of her lifeAt sixteen, Eva meets Jamie by chance. She lives in middle-class south Brooklyn; he comes from the super rich of upper Manhattan. She&’s observant, cautious, often insecure; he&’s curious, bold, full of mysteries. These two questers are drawn together in a strange and profound friendship, tested by forces larger than themselves. As Eva follows a path of conventional achievement—a prestigious degree, a formative romance, the start of an ambitious career—Jamie seeks out more radical experiments in finding himself: renouncing his family, joining a political movement, and eventually even talking to God.Carried forcefully along by Clare Sestanovich&’s exquisite prose, these two characters are pulled into separate spheres but circle the same questions: how to define their values and find their purpose, how to create a sense of self while discovering what they owe to society and to the cause of justice. These reckonings propel a surprising story of intimacy across time, exploring the alchemy of identity, the mystery of destiny, and the difficult journey of finding faith—in yourself, and in the world.