House Arrest: A Novel

By: Ellen Meeropol

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Synopsis: A visiting nurse forms a bond with a young female cult member in this &“fascinating&” novel (Rosellen Brown, New York Times–bestselling author of The Lake on Fire). Home-care nurse Emily Klein has been assigned to make prenatal visits to an unusual client: Pippa Glenning, a cult member whose daughter died during a Solstice ceremony—an event for which she is under arrest, spared imprisonment for now and allowed home confinement only because of her pregnancy. Emily cannot help but feel compassion for Pippa, especially in light of her own family history. But everyone warns her not to get too close . . . Set in Springfield, Massachusetts and on an island in Penobscot Bay, the story is told in alternating points of view—all centering on the theme of political activism and its consequences, especially when politics become personal. House Arrest explores the meaning of family loyalty when beliefs conflict, and the question of when breaking the rules serves justice. &“[A] strong first novel . . . thoughtful and tightly composed, unflinching in taking on challenging subjects and deliberating uneasy ethical conundrums.&” —Publishers Weekly