Ann Roth, Another Life

Another Life

Ann Roth

Zebra, Apr 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0821780344

In San Francisco, Mary Beth Mason is stunned when her beloved spouse of two decades dies from a heart attack. She initially grieves her loss and worries about their daughter. However, she soon wonders if she knew her husband as she finds herself in major debt instead of the affluence she thought would continue even with her husband's death as he made a bundle as a high-priced, elite attorney.

On the other side of the state Caroline Mason grieves the death of her beloved husband Stephen, a high priced attorney who traveled all over California and worries about the impact on their daughter. She is shocked to find mountains of debt instead of the affluence she expected.

When Caroline and Mary Beth meet they forge a deal once each overcomes the shock that their beloved Stephen was a bigamist. Instead of outrage at one another, the two widows help one another and their offspring as a bond forms between the four female survivors left behind by Stephen.

This is an interesting family drama starring a solid cast stunned by what they have learned about the man each adulated. A late romance seems unnecessary and the adjustments made by the widows and their daughters seems a bit too easy considering how deep the betrayal must be as Stephen was a hero to the four women, but his legacy proved false. Still, Ann Roth provides an intriguing look at moving on while grieving more than just the loss of a loved one.

Harriet Klausner