Recent MFA grad Pierpont's first novel is an expertly crafted story of a family in crisis. She opens with a letter to Deb, a married mother of two, from the "other woman." In a cruel twist, Deb's 11-year-old daughter, Kay, finds the epistle first, along with copies of all the dirty and romantic emails her father, Jack, sent his mistress. This disturbing episode throws the reader into the middle of the family drama that may not be distinct but perhaps has never been this well articulated. The author plays with the narrative, giving us a snapshot of the characters' lives to come over the following decades before zeroing in on the immediate aftermath. After a few disastrous weeks coping at home in Manhattan, Deb takes the kids to a family beach house in Rhode Island, while Jack, an installation artist at a crossroads in his career, flies to Texas. We hear alternating perspectives from Jack, Deb, Kay, and 15-year-old Simon, all of whom are richly drawn and heartbreakingly sympathetic. VERDICT Pierpont wields words like beautiful weapons. This short novel is a treat for fans of Jonathan Franzen, Jami Attenberg, and Emma Straub, and shows off an exciting new voice on the literary landscape. [See Prepub Alert, 1/12/15.]—Kate Gray, Worcester P.L., MA

They look like a golden couple, but former ballet dancer Deb is starting to regret her marriage to too-cool sculptor Jack and throws herself into raising Simon and sweet, innocent Kay. Alas, it's Kay who opens the package addressed to Deb containing email evidence of Jack's torrid affair. Pierpont received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Graduate Fellowship and a Stein Fellowship while attending the NYU Creative Writing Program.

When Jack Shanley's former girlfriend sends a box of sexually explicit emails to his wife, Deb, it is opened and read by their 11-year-old daughter, Kay, and 15-year-old son, Simon, setting off a major marital disruption that hurts all family members. Jack, a successful New York artist, begs to be forgiven. Deb now must decide whether to stay with him or face the nightmare of divorce. Kay and Simon begin to act out their fury, blaming not only Jack but also Deb for somehow letting the affair happen. More than just another account of marital infidelity and its effects, this debut novel's strength lies in its portrayal of Kay and Simon as they struggle to fit in socially and make sense of the family situation. To add a little whimsy, Pierpont highlights Simon's teenage self-absorption as he smokes pot for the first time and Kay's preoccupation with writing "Seinfeld" fan fiction. Narrator Hillary Huber finds just the right tone between sadness and humor. VERDICT Readers seeking a cleverly written novel that takes a penetrating look at family dynamics will love this. ["Pierpont wields words like beautiful weapons. This short novel is a treat…and shows off an exciting new voice on the literary landscape": LJ 4/15/15 starred review of the Random hc.]—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo