A Song in the Daylight

March 1, 2018
On the surface, Larissa Stark appears to be a happily married mother of three, approaching 40. But her life in suburban New Jersey has left her deeply unfulfilled, so when she meets a handsome, younger man, Kai, in a grocery-store parking lot, she is drawn in by his flirtation and obvious attraction to her. They keep running into each other, accidentally at first, and then planned. It will surprise no one that Larissa and Kai end up in bed together, but what follows?Larissa's disappearance (revealed in the first few pages of the book) and its fallout?have far-reaching and dramatic consequences. Larissa's conflicted feelings and desire for Kai are precisely rendered, as is her neglect of her family and her oldest friend, who is in dire straits in the Philippines. At almost 800 pages, Simons' (The Girl in Times Square, 2017) novel spares no detail, but it is compulsively readable, as readers turn the pages to discover the complex ramifications of Larissa's rash actions and decisions. Perfect for those who like to immerse themselves in long, involving tales.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)