A Piece of Normal

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: One
Speaking of kisses, I know this may sound weird, but in the past month, I have set up three first dates for Teddy, my ex-husband. I'm not sure he's had any kisses - restorative or otherwise - from any of the three women, but at least on tonight's date

Chapter 1: Part 2
He laughs, a raspy sound, like two dry husks rubbing together. 'Come on. You said when you called from the restaurant that she loved the shirt,' I say. 'So what happened then?' Teddy is possibly the only man in the world who would make a cell phone call

At age thirty-four, Lily Brown has her life just the way she likes it. And what's not to like? She's got a great job as an advice columnist for the local newspaper, an adorable four-year-old son, and an ex-husband, Teddy, who still thinks she's wonderful. She even lives in the same beach house where she grew up, with a great view of Long Island Sound and plenty of beach roses to smell.

So what if she won't let herself date anyone until she finds a new girlfriend for Teddy, who happens to still be hung up on her? So what if she hasn't changed a thing in her parents' house, even twelve years after their tragic deaths? So what if it's been ten years since she's heard from her younger sister, Dana, who stormed out of the house in a rage when she was a teenager? Lily is fine.

But it's funny how life has a way of upsetting even the most perfectly laid-out plans, and when one night Lily finds herself painting ghastly orange highlights into her lovely auburn hair, even she suspects that she's been in something of a rut. And then, when her long-lost little sister shows up, bringing with her the fun and drama and hell-raising spontaneity Lily has missed, her life suddenly takes a turn for the unexpected.

To Lily's chagrin, Dana's energy seems to enthrall everyone, especially Teddy. As the tension between the sisters escalates, Dana reveals decades-old family secrets that she's been burdened with all these years, and Dear Lily must heed her own advice about accepting life's messiness and chaos.

With her trademark blend of sparkling wit and characters you can't forget, Sandi Kahn Shelton tells a compelling and universal story of two sisters who learn what they need to let go of, and what they have to hold on to as tightly as they can.

Sandi Kahn Shelton is the author of What Comes After Crazy and a feature writer for the New Haven Register. A former "Wit's End" columnist for Working Mother magazine, she is a frequent contributor to several magazines, including Woman's Day, Family Circle, Redbook, and Salon. The author of three previous books on parenting, she is a mother of three and lives in Guilford, Connecticut, with her journalist husband.

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