One True Thing - by Anna Quindlen (Paperback)

About the Book

First time in trade paperback--the acclaimed, bestselling novel by the author of "Living Out Loud." When she comes home to care for her dying mother, Ellen Gulden learns secrets which the older woman has held in her heart for so long.

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A "hypnotically interesting" (The Washington Post Book World) novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Miller's Valley

"[Anna Quindlen] writes passionately . . . painstakingly uncovering all the intensity, suspicion and primitive love that bonds mothers and daughters."--The Boston Globe

Ellen Gulden is enjoying her career as a successful magazine writer in New York City when she learns that her mother, Kate, is dying of cancer. Ellen's father insists that she quit her job and return home to become a caregiver. A high-powered career woman, Ellen has never felt she had much in common with her mother, a homemaker and the heart of their family. Yet as Ellen begins to spend time with Kate, she discovers many surprising truths, not only about herself, but also about the woman she thought she knew so well.

Later, when Ellen is accused of the mercy killing of her mother, she must not only defend her own life but make a difficult choice--either accept responsibility for an act she did not commit or divulge the name of the person she believes committed a painful act of love.

Review Quotes

"Fiercely compassionate and frank . . . conveys a world so out of kilter and so like ours that its readers are likely to feel both exhilarated and unnerved by its accuracy."--Elle

"A masterpiece."--Tulsa World

"Provocative . . . We leave One True Thing stimulated and challenged, more thoughtful than when we began."--Los Angeles Times

"Like a brush with mortality, One True Thing leaves the reader feeling grateful, wide awake, lucky to be alive."--Michael Chabon

"It calls you back for another read. . . . This is a book of catharsis."--The Denver Post

"A triumph."--San Francisco Chronicle

"It is simply impossible to forget."--Alice Hoffman

About the Author

Anna Quindlen is the author of many bestselling books, including the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Rise and Shine, the #1 bestselling memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life. Her other novels include Blessings, One True Thing, the Oprah Book Club Selection Black and Blue, and Still Life with Bread Crumbs.