AFTER MELANIE

From award-winning author Gloria Goldreich, After Melanie tells of the heart
wrenching impact of a child's death on a fragile marriage.

Judith and David find themselves numb to each other after the unfathomable loss of their 13 year old daughter Melanie. On sabbatical from teaching, Judith must face cleaning out her daughter's room. While dropping off her clothes at her temple's thrift shop, she finds herself agreeing to volunteer. All of the items accepted for sale must be only gently used—and the humans too. Within this community, she discovers the balm of helping others through sharing in both their joys and tribulations. But things tip into dangerous territory when she travels to a widower's home to help him clean out the house of his wife's belongings.

Burying himself in his work, David meets a single mother and her daughter who is the same age as his would have been. With this small family, David finds the release he is searching for—but where will it lead?

Beautifully told, After Melanie helps us understand the depths of the healing heart.

Gloria Goldreich is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including The Bridal Chair (Sourcebooks 2015), Open Doors (Mira 2008), Dinner With Anna Karenina (Mira 2006), Walking Home (Mira 2005), Leah's Children (Berkley 1985), and Leah's Journey (Harcourt 1978; Berkley 1983), which won the National Jewish Book Award. Her books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, the Literary Guild and the Troll Book Club. Gloria and her husband live in Tuckahoe, New York.