"A luminous and richly layered novel evoking The Big Chill--the story of a group of lifetime friends who gather together to confront life, love, and now, mortality 'Before Everything' is a celebration of friendship and love between a group of women who have known one another since they were girls. They've faced everything together, from youthful sprees and scrapes to mid-life turning points. Now, as Anna, the group's trailblazer and brightest spark,...

In this collection of eleven stories of love, loss and relationships gone awry, protagonists struggle to balance a zeal for adventure with reasonable caution. The narrators are often parents in or nearing middle age who are startled by troubling signs in their children.

Emily is a beautiful and brilliant loner obsessed with having the perfect child. Her desperation will drive her to commit shocking and perilous acts, pushing her closer to the edge of sanity.