Ask Again, Yes

Two rookie cops, Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, move their young families to a suburb outside New York City in the 1970s. The families become next-door neighbors, setting in motion decades of entangled relationships between their children. Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope forge a close friendship as children, despite tension between their parents. A violent incident shatters both families and forces them apart, leaving lasting trauma and unanswered questions. The narrative follows Kate and Peter from childhood through adulthood as they grapple with their shared past while building their own lives. Their story spans multiple decades and locations, from suburban New York to college towns and city neighborhoods. The novel examines how mental illness, violence, and addiction ripple through generations, while exploring themes of forgiveness and the possibility of breaking destructive patterns. It raises questions about loyalty, family bonds, and whether love can overcome inherited trauma.

Readers describe this as a multi-generational family drama that examines trauma, mental illness, and forgiveness. The book maintains a 4.0/5 rating on Goodreads (200,000+ ratings) and 4.4/5 on Amazon (9,000+ ratings). Readers appreciated: - Complex, realistic characters who evolve over decades - Nuanced handling of mental health and addiction - Strong sense of time and place in suburban New York - Writing style that reveals details gradually Common criticisms: - Slow pacing, especially in the first third - Too many time jumps between decades - Secondary characters feel underdeveloped - Some plot points remain unresolved "The characters felt like people I know," notes one Amazon reviewer, while another states "the middle section dragged and lost my interest." Goodreads reviewers frequently mention the book requires patience but rewards careful reading. BookPage readers rated it 4.5/5, praising the authentic dialogue and emotional depth while noting the narrative sometimes meanders.

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★ Author Mary Beth Keane drew inspiration from her own upbringing in Pearl River, NY, and her experiences growing up in a predominantly Irish-American community with many police officer families. ★ The book's title comes from Samuel Beckett's play "Worstward Ho," reflecting the novel's themes of resilience and moving forward despite adversity. ★ The mental health storyline in the novel was partially influenced by Keane's research into how PTSD affected police officers in the 1970s and 1980s, when there was little support or acknowledgment of the condition. ★ The novel spent 12 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was selected for "The Tonight Show's" Summer Reads book club by Jimmy Fallon in 2019. ★ Several pivotal scenes in the book take place during the blackout of 1977 in New York City, a real historical event during which the city experienced widespread power outages and social unrest for 25 hours.