Starfish

The author of Mermaids reunites the unforgettable women of the Flax family decades later: Its plot twists will make you laughafter you wipe away tears. Sally Koslow, author of The Real Mrs. Tobias Now in her early forties with a grown son and two grandchildren, Charlotte Flax has never forgotten the year she spent as a teenager in Grove, Massachusetts, with her mother and little sister. When she finds out that their old house there, one of the many the family occupied over the years, is available for rent, Charlotte moves in and plans a birthday party for her flighty-as-ever mother. Some things have changedthe nearby convent has given way to real estate interests. Some things have notCharlotte still has feelings about Joe, her first love. This upcoming reunion will stir up a lot of memoriesand some troubleand test the ability of relationships to survive over time . . . Patty Dann, through Charlottes unique voice, propels us back into the careening lives of the Flax women. Funny, sad, chaotic, mysterious, moving, searching, they are above all a family. Richard Benjamin, director of Mermaids Praise for Mermaids and the novels of Patty Dann Dann gives us a magnificent voice in the young Charlotte . . . Both hilarious and tragic . . . a radiant debut. The New York Times Book Review A marvel . . . brilliant. Elinor Lipman, author of Good Riddance Poignant. Sheila Kohler, author of Once We Were Sisters and Cracks Both of [the sisters] characters are sharply etched and recognizable. Publishers Weekly