Ask Again, Yes: A Novel
Written by Mary Beth Keane
Narrated by Molly Pope
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by People, Vogue, Parade, NPR, and Elle
"A gem of a book." —Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
How much can a family forgive?
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie NYPD cops, are neighbors in the suburbs. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
In Mary Beth Keane's extraordinary novel, a lifelong friendship and love blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next thirty years. Heartbreaking and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes is a gorgeous and generous portrait of the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness.
Editor's Note
Book club pick…
Set in New York City in the 1970s, two rookie cops and their families live next door to each other until one explosive night when something shocking divides them, leaving their children to grapple with the consequences for years to come. Jimmy Fallon announced in July 2019 that “Ask Again, Yes” won fans’ votes to be “The Tonight Show”’s summer book club read.
Mary Beth Keane
Mary Beth Keane was born in New York City to Irish parents and grew up in Rockland County, New York. She attended Barnard College and the University of Virginia, where she received an MFA in Fiction. In 2011, she was named by Julia Glass to the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35.” She lives in Pearl River, New York, with her husband and their two sons.
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Reviews for Ask Again, Yes
1,763 ratings105 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What an excellent read (or listen in my case). The story never felt too rushed, or belabored. So glad this made the Jimmy Fallon summer reading list!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ask again, yes was a captivating story. It spanned the lives of Kate and Peter who grow up next to each other and are the best friends until a tragic accident occurs between their parents. I really enjoyed the story and never wanted to stop listening. Great narration too!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The author did a great job with the characters they felt like they were your own family but you could always see what was coming next. So for me that made it hard to get through..I don't love the book but glad that I read it.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5All the buzz around this book really made it a disappointment for me. I was expecting so much more and I just found it to be blah overall. The book moved at a very slow pace there were pockets of excitement but they didn’t last long enough and there weren’t enough of them. It was a good story but maybe this just wasn’t the type of book for me I prefer action, suspense, mystery, romance. So, maybe just maybe, it’s me and not the book.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was ok, didnt live up to the hype. I wish it was better.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed this book. Well written & well narrated. A story about 2 kids who grow up together & their lives as they experience unusual conflicts, pain, addictions, & death, but still manage to face their life challenges together.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So good. Characters were believable and the story was so engaging. One of those books I was sad was over.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ten stars! This is a story about all families. Is this life together worth all the moments. If I had it to do over again, would I say yes? I laughed and cried and then sobbed. So so good.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The person reading was unbelievable. The different accents used for each person was key! Loved the story and I’m upset it’s over.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5This is not based on the book but rather the audio quality. It kept shutting off for entire minutes at a time yet was still playing so I missed parts of the story- by the 3rd or 4th time I could no longer look past the glitch. This is the first time I’ve had this issue with scribd. I hope it isn’t a new norm.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing, amazing novel.
I really loved how this novel was the perfect mixture of family drama and suspense. This book had been on my TBR list for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. The author did a wonderful job of showing the complexities of family drama, love and life. The characters were really great, and developed well.
In this novel, the author showed that even the families who seem the most perfect have their cracks- some too big to fully refill. But as the author shows in the end, even the biggest cracks that exists within families can be mended. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great story! Great narration! I highly recommend.
Love, addiction and mental illness - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good book, enjoyed the twists that were not expected. Worth the time!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The plot just dropped in the middle of the book it was like six chapters of filler all about him starting to drink so, the plot just ended it was good until then but then it was like just a major let down sorry about the beginning of the book was good
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is Amazing character growth and storytelling. Absolutely fantastic! Highly recommend!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have learned that East Coast-based Irish Family dramas are now one of my favorite storylines. This book was a heavy read, to say the least, but I did find the family dynamic interesting to read. A few trigger warnings, this book does include characters dealing with mental illness and alcoholism. I am very glad to have listened to the book on audio, it would have been difficult to read through the intense moments in this book. While the book does span two generations and at least two different families, the number of characters does not seem overwhelming and their storylines are seamlessly tied together. I recommend this to anyone who read and enjoyed We Are the Brennans.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A multi generational life story of hope, loss, love, forgiveness, disappointment, new beginnings & the beauty of second chances.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First read by this author. Loved how she keeps all the characters interesting and moving together. Loved the thoughtful nuggets she drops throughout the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well written storyline , enjoyable to listen on audiobook. Characters were well developed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A long and emotionally fraught family saga. A real slow burner but well worth it for me in the end. I'm sure this is a book I'll be thinking of often long after finishing it.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was a good book. But, slow and didn't keep me interested.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The characters were so real. The challenging situations and relationships were so familiar. I highly recommend. Excellent narration.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved the depth of the story, the narration was amazing!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is so real and so raw. Anyone who has lived, loved, and lost will understand and connect with the story of the Stanhopes and Gleasons. It slows a little in the middle but stick with it. You won’t regret it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator was fabulous, great story! Highly recommend!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved, most of all the structure of the novel. That was, for me, the beauty of the story. It is the story of a family /families and how people can hurt each other, hurt themselves and in the end, if we accept and come clear about it, it will be fine. Everybody is fine!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5There are some parts of this book that were very interesting and left you waiting to hear what would happen next. There are definitely parts that left you confused and feeling as if the sentence didn't even end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Was pretty good but a bit longer than needed to be.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Interesting, not riveting. Good character development and depth as well.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I felt deeply connected to these characters and I honestly loved the book