The Pieces We Keep
Two years have done little to ease veterinarian Audra Hughes's grief over her husband's untimely death. Eager for a fresh start, Audra plans to leave Portland for a new job in Philadelphia. Her seven-year-old son, Jack, seems apprehensive about flying—but it's just the beginning of an anxiety that grows to consume him.
As Jack's fears continue to surface in recurring and violent nightmares, Audra hardly recognizes the introverted boy he has become. Desperate, she traces snippets of information unearthed in Jack's dreams, leading her to Sean Malloy, a struggling US Army veteran wounded in Afghanistan. Together they unravel a mystery dating back to World War II, and uncover old family secrets that still have the strength to wound—and perhaps, at last, to heal.
Special Honors
- 2014 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Finalist
- 2014 Booksellers' Best Award Finalist
- 2013 National Readers' Choice Award Winner
Behind the Story
A friend of mine once shared with me a news story about a young boy troubled by night terrors, all involving a plane crash during WWII. Apparently, over time the child's detailed knowledge convinced his skeptical parents that in a past life he had been a pilot who died in battle. I was fascinated, and for very personal reasons.
You see, my eldest son, often referred to as an "old soul," had also once suffered from night terrors and used to speak of a grandmother who didn't exist. Reflecting on this, I started to wonder: How would I have reacted if my own son suddenly spouted historical facts he couldn't possibly know? What if those "memories" linked back to secrets people wanted to keep buried?
From there, a true account of Nazi spies on American soil inspired the final threads of my novel. All of these elements gradually came together in a story that explores different forms of courage, faith, and loyalty, and what happens when each is put to the ultimate test.
