Runner Up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Finalist for the Washington State Book Award
Edgar Prize Finalist for Best Debut Novel by an American Author
Shortlisted for the Prix Libre Nous, Best Foreign Book in French
Translation
New York Times, Group Text Pick for April 2021
New York Times Editor's Choice Pick
Named a top beach read of summer by Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping,
The Wall Street Journal, and more
"Nail-biting wallop of a debut . . . a thoughtful, unexpectedly
optimistic tale." --The New York Times
"If you enjoyed The Searcher by Tana French, read What Comes After
by JoAnne Tompkins. . . . a mystery--and a gritty meditation on loss and
redemption, drenched in stillness and grief." --The Washington Post
After the shocking death of two teenage boys tears apart a community in
the Pacific Northwest, a mysterious pregnant girl emerges out of the
woods and into the lives of those same boys' families--a moving and
hopeful novel about forgiveness and human connection.
In misty, coastal Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog,
grieving the recent death of his teenage son, Daniel. Next door, Lorrie,
a working single mother, struggles with a heinous act committed by her
own teenage son. Separated by only a silvery stretch of trees, the two
parents are emotionally stranded, isolated by their great losses--until
an unfamiliar sixteen-year-old girl shows up, bridges the gap, and
changes everything.
Evangeline's arrival at first feels like a blessing, but she is also
clearly hiding something. When Isaac, who has retreated into his Quaker
faith, isn't equipped to handle her alone, Lorrie forges her own
relationship with the girl. Soon all three characters are forced to
examine what really happened in their overlapping pasts, and what it all
possibly means for a shared future.
With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an
unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope,
courage and forgiveness. It is a deeply moving account of strangers and
friends not only helping each other forward after tragedy but inspiring
a new kind of family.
