nurse

squeezedrachelsarrolbooshoulder.sheobeing

ent,wereyou

sayinganythihavereaklookedat

katherine.

”alkingaboutpersonalstuff,butewalked

tothedoor.ihuggedyou.”hearchedabroaybeshewas

jealous.”froindycaaquiet”lesseretionsthanthathave

pulledpeoplefros.”stilltokatherine,jacksaid,”sheandi

aredivorced.shebejealous.”itherio

archabroshedidntelaborateandhedidntask.shehad

appointhink.

chayterterkatheri,jacksaton

rachelsbed.hetrahers,andtracedthenew

scar.

heputtheirhandspalopalthenfittedherpalohisjaw.he

thoughtaboutthesighthave

had,andighthavebeehoughtaboutuntrysid

aboutjealousy.ahoughtaboutagined

katherinehadlivedthrough.

”hinkuch,”hetoldrachel,andrealizedthat

katherinehadsaidthesathing,indifferehan

once.

shtbesloheuptake,

buthehopeless.

fayeliebernileashersilver

hair.

herpantsuiteshebroughtahugetin

ofhobakedrugelach,plusabagntainingthes.”you

havee,haveyou”sheasked,stoppings

suspendedhalfhroughunloadingthebag.

”.”sheheldouttepaper

”theyrefrolizasshop.ourkeyhstuce

andtoto,andstard.theotherisroastbeefhboursin.

choose.”

”ogether,shookher

head.”iheleastliberatedofrachelsfriends.ifiwereyou,

idpiaynotbegivenaeagain.”hehad

feltfortablethestart,aevenresonow.

sling,hereachedfortheonehrbonthehanks.

thisisatreat.”fayeproducedtone.

”seenoiling,shesaidtorachel,”asexhusbands

go,heisntsobad.”thesledfaded.shetouhelscheek.

”shellbefine,”jacksaid.”assoonasthebruiseinsideishealed

enough,shelleafterthat.”

fayenodded.foranuteshedidntsayanything.thenshepresseda

handtoherchest,sookadeepbreath.afterasend

one,shesaid,”doyouknoondaynighthefirst

bookgroupetingthatracheleverssedinfiveyears.thats

sothing.”

”itantthatchtoher””toher,toallofus.”hegaveherthe

chaiearestrachelandpulledupasendone.hewasdone

retreatingtotheeby.theyucha

sourationaskatherinewas.

hebitintohissandhoughtfully,andshy”

”eansoinute.

”because.wehaveourown

livesanddoings,butwevegrown

ethinghappensouch

onpersonalissues.

youopenup.iprobablykterthansoiseeevery

day.ithinkitsthefactthatourlivesaresoseparatethatgives

usthefreedoospeak.”

”instantrapportkindofthing””notinstant.ittookawhilefor

soofustofeelfortableadein

theurseofdiscussions.ittookthatlongto...bond.”she

sled.”tritethatso

trust.uhereareadozenotherbookgroupsin

town.”

”allbecauseofoprah”fayekled.”oursstartedyearsbefore

hers.soofthosedozenotherbookgroupshavebeengoingteas

longasours.iveheardofgroupsthatareintotheirsend

geion.andoursarentfanclubs.

afraidtodiscussthedownsideofbooks.”shefrowned.

”theresaneed.”

”fordo.”reflective,shetooka

biteofhersanditba

itsethingslikekoliveina

nity.

upstairs,tiliesacrossthestreet,ase

ofgrandparentsdootherhadabuiltinsupport

group.thenonebyoneourparentsboughthousesahe

suburbs,andarriedandlivedwhereverour

husbandstookus,andsuddenlythesupporte

pushedthekidsadefriends

othersdoingthesa,andhekids

greostyoung

enheirsupproup”jaturedrachelba

sanfrancis.”theirhusbandsandkids

”fayesledsadly.”notgoodenough.ndontknoen

feel,andkidsarekids.eheren.”slingre

brightly,shetouhelsarndaskedherifshereered

plainandsile.

”itsalittlebookbyaaneh

theash,”shetoldjack.”thereshefindsgroupsofenwholive,

itytoeachother.theytalkallday,

helpeahores,bahotherup.itsthekindof

supportsysteherestofususedtohave,butlost.”jackhad

designedalanguageterforallegeinlancaster.siwas

intheheartofashuntry,hekhingaboutthesect.

”onyourlife,

”fayedeclared.”ilikeluxuries.buttherearetis

lonely,yhusbandisplayinggolfandiherewerea

ybackyardandothereninneighbbackyards

ingtotalkthe.”

”butbackyardsarefossip.bookgroupsareforintellectual

discussion.”

”theyiling.

”intelleeswhenwe

disesebookshave

sochatigettoourselvesatall.othersare

onlygoodasfailed.facilitators.hehadnever

heardthetersedquitethathesupposeditfit.

”thethingis,”fayeon,”thatwenever

...