DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
From the New York Times bestselling author of Woman in Red comes an intimate story of friendship lost and regained, old loves rekindled, and a baptism by fire that ultimately leads to the redemption of three very special women.
It begins with a betrayal that tears apart childhood friends, Abigail and Lila, when Abigail’s mother, the housekeeper for Lila’s wealthy family, is summarily banished, casting Abigail from the only home she has ever known. Now, twenty-five years later, Abigail is a self-made successful cookbook author and TV personality. When Lila,
From the New York Times bestselling author of Woman in Red comes an intimate story of friendship lost and regained, old loves rekindled, and a baptism by fire that ultimately leads to the redemption of three very special women.
It begins with a betrayal that tears apart childhood friends, Abigail and Lila, when Abigail’s mother, the housekeeper for Lila’s wealthy family, is summarily banished, casting Abigail from the only home she has ever known. Now, twenty-five years later, Abigail is a self-made successful cookbook author and TV personality. When Lila, who married well and for decades lived the glittering life of a Park Avenue socialite, suffers a tragic reversal of fortune, she seeks out the help of her childhood friend. Penniless and all but unemployable, Lila approaches Abigail about a job, and Abigail gives her one: as her housekeeper.
But revenge is not as sweet as Abigail had imagined. Lila’s reentry into Abigail’s life brings along some unexpected complications and questions: will Abigail be reunited with her girlhood love, Lila’s twin brother, Vaughn? Will Concepcioìn, the grief-stricken mother whose daughter perished in the fire that consumed Abigail’s factory, succeed in crossing the border to track Abigail down and confront her about her daughter’s death? Will Lila ever find love in the wake of her husband’s suicide?
In this sweeping emotional tale, Abigail, Lila, and Concepción are thrown together and forced to unite in order to save one another … and themselves. Along the way they discover that the forces that have torn their lives apart have also shaped them in ways they never could have imagined….
- Vanguard Press
- Hardcover
- June 2008
- 448 Pages
- 9781593154752
Buy the Book
$25.95
About Eileen Goudge
Eileen Goudge is the New York Times best-selling author whose novels include Woman in Red, One Last Dance, Garden of Lies, and Thorns of Truth. There are more than three million copies of her books in print worldwide. She lives in New York City with her husband, entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon.
Praise
“Eileen Goudge deftly weaves multiple storylines into a seamless page-turner propelled by juicy secrets, skeletons in the closet, stunning betrayals and heart-wrenching reunions. If you’re feeling nostalgic for a good, old-fashioned sprawling saga, Domestic Affairs is your book.” —Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author of Dying Breath
“When you open this book, don’t bother putting anything else on your schedule, because you won’t want to stop reading for anything. This is the ultimate indulgence—dramatic, involving, and ringing with emotional truth. Eileen Goudge spins a cautionary tale with a fairy tale ending about the price of ambition, the meaning of loyalty and the redeeming power of love. This is a top-drawer author at the top of her game.” —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of The Winter Lodge
“Honestly, from the first page, I was hooked. The novel is a big, juicy, emotional saga that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go….a sweeping, emotional story that will mesmerize you from start to finish… Eileen Goudge has truly written her best novel to date with Domestic Affairs.” —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of Firefly Lane
“Eileen Goudge, author of Woman in Red, has written a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of the love and closeness two women share as teens only to be destroyed. Now they share a need to take solace in each other and restore their once-close relationship. This story will reach into your soul and place you into the characters’ thoughts. Highly recommended reading!”—FreshFiction
Discussion Questions
Friendships are the foundations of our lives. Have you ever been betrayed by a best friend? If so, how has it affected you? Did the friendship survive?
Abigail is like many women, in the sense that she feels she has to do it all. How do you juggle work and family? What are the challenges and how have you met them?
Domestic Affairs is about the power of secrets to affect our lives. Have you ever harbored a secret that changed the course of your life? How might it have been different had you revealed the secret?
Lila loses everything in one fell swoop: her husband, home, and the security she’s known. Have you ever been “down and out”? If so, how did you handle it?
The grieving Mexican mother, Concepción, crosses the border into this country illegally. Did you come away with a deeper understanding of this social issue in reading the book? What are your feelings about illegal immigrants in this country?
The two teenagers in the book enter into an unthinkable pact. Where do you draw the line with teenage children? How much privacy should they be allowed and when is it time to step in when you suspect they’re hiding something?
Abigail and Vaughn reconnect after a period of many years and the spark they generated as teenagers is reignited. Do you ever wonder what would happen if an old love reentered your life? Has that ever happened?
Lila rejects the advances of her suitor Karim at first. After losing her husband, she’s not sure she can take the risk of having something like that happen to her again. What would make you fall in love again after such a tragic loss? What would a man (or woman) have to do to prove worthy of taking that risk?
Ultimately, Domestic Affairs is about redemption. In this case, two women find redemption after initially seeking revenge. Do you know anyone for whom this has been the case? Would you be able to forgive someone who betrayed you or cost you the life of a loved one?