The New York Times bestselling author of Labor Day and After Her returns with a poignant story about the true meaning--and the true price--of friendship.Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He's drifting away from her, fast.When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art, and dazzling parties.Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind, quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends' fireworks. To Swift and Ava, he's boring. But even worse than that, he's unimpressed by them.As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands' influence--running errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with Elliott--Ava and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son, and the daughter of the Havillands' housekeeper. With her young son's future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.he lonely boy looks up to the larger-than-life man who treats him like a second son. And Swift has promised Helen the services of a high-powered attorney to help her regain custody.Then tragedy strikes: Ollie witnesses a devastating accident at the Havillands' lake house. Now Helen and Ollie must pay up for the generosity of Helen's new friends. Or pay dearly if they refuse.Praise for Joyce MaynardUnder the Influence"Tantalizing and seductive. . . . A story about the pull of consuming friendships, of seeking to escape into the lives of others, of possession and illusion. . . . Utterly captivating."--Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The FeverAfter Her"A deeply moving novel that sheds necessary light on that sometimes tenuous yet fiercely enduring love between daughters and fathers."--ANDRE DUBUS IIIThe Good Daughters"Maynard's spare prose packs a rich emotional punch. . . . A can't-put-it-down mystery." --PeopleLabor Day"Labor Day is a sexy, page-turning, poignant story told by a sweetly baffled young hero, perhaps the best kind of hero to narrate any tale."--JANE HAMILTON, author of Laura Rider's Masterpiece and A Map of the World