A pitch-perfect, emotionally riveting novel about the fracturing of a marriage and a family: âA gripping debutâ (People) from an award-winning young writer with superb storytelling instincts.
Life hasnât always been perfect for Abe and Cassandra Green, but an afternoon on the San Francisco Bay might be as good as it gets. Abe is a rheumatologist, piloting his coveted new boat. Cassandra is a sculptor, finally gaining modest attention for her art. Their beautiful daughter Elizabeth is heading to Harvard in the fall. Somehow, theyâve made things work. But then, tensions overflow, and they plunge into a terrible fight. In a fit of fury, Abe throws himself off the boat.
âA bittersweet tale of breakup and forgivenessâ (O, The Oprah Magazine), The Violet Hour follows a modern family through past and present. As Cassandra, Abe, and Elizabeth navigate the passage of timeâthe expectations of youth, the concessions of middle age, the headiness of desire, the bitterness of lossâthey must come to terms with the fragility of their intimacy, the strange legacies they inherit from their parents, and the kind of people they want to be.
Exquisitely written, The Violet Hour is âa rewarding family saga reminiscent of Anne Tylerâs novels...Hillâs story unfurls from the kind of sensational marital spat that makes you feel better about your own imperfect unionâŚwonderfully witty and assuredâ (The Washington Post Book World).