The Affair

"Shot through with the kind of longing that lasts a lifetime . . . The Affair manages to be both a quick thrill and a slow burn. A love story for grownups." —Daisy Goodwin, New York Times– bestselling author "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." —Leo Tolstoy As a writer, Celia Bayley's insights into the ways of the human heart made her famous. And why not? She had married a handsome war hero and produced three successful children. Yet, as her family gathers for her funeral, the diaries and notebooks and letters she left behind paint a very different picture, one that shocks those who loved her and will force them to confront the difficult conflicts in their own lives. A life torn by secrets is revealed. The husband she adored had deceived her early in their marriage and broken her heart, though they persevered as a family. Then, years later while on a trip with friends, she meets a man for whom she feels a passion she never believed possible. In one brief moment, her whole life is turned inside out. Utterly compelling and beautifully written, The Affair makes vividly real the agonizing choice one woman must make. Powerful and moving, the novel is about marriage, families, and the definition of happiness. "Clifford's voice sings from the page, like a haunting melody from another time." —Beth Harbison, New York Times–bestselling author