On Second Thought

Kate O'Leary has lived independently most of her life, but as she nears 40 she falls in love, marries, and moves from her Brooklyn apartment to the suburban showplace home of her architect husband. Four months into their marriage, Kate hasn't fully adjusted to her new life when Nathan dies unexpectedly. Suddenly, she is the widow of a man she had known for less than a year. Also affected is Kate's sister's boyfriend, Eric, who decides to repudiate his 11-year relationship with Ainsley, quit his job, travel to Alaska, and "live life large." Devastated, Ainsley moves in with Kate, begins to work through her feelings, and supports her fragile sister. The chapters alternate first-person narrators, with Ainsley's point of view read by Amy Rubinate and Kate's by Xe Sands. Rubinate's warm voice and energetic pace bring Ainsley to life, while Sands's halting, reedy tone emphasizes Kate's grief and broken spirit.