Reunion A Novel
Reunion A Novel by Elise Juska, published by HarperCollins Publishers in May 2025, is a 304-page exploration of friendship and personal growth. Set against the backdrop of a college reunion in coastal Maine, the story follows three friends in their forties as they confront the realities of their lives. Hope, a stay-at-home mom, seeks an escape from her strained marriage and the challenges of parenting during a pandemic. Adam grapples with the contrast between his secluded life and the memories of his youthful freedom, while Polly, a single mother, reluctantly returns to campus after more than two decades, prompted by her teenage son.
This novel delves into the complexities of long-standing friendships and the impact of past choices on the present. As the reunion unfolds, the characters face unexpected revelations that challenge their perceptions of each other and themselves. Themes of family life and the nuances of small-town dynamics are woven throughout the narrative, offering readers a thoughtful examination of how friendships evolve over time. Reunion presents a poignant look at the intersections of personal history and the bonds that shape our lives.
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A New York Times Editors’ Choice * A People Best Book
“Masterful storytelling and memorable characters. . . . Elise Juska’s best book yet.”–Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River and The God of the Woods
“I loved this story about the importance of long friendships. . . . A perfectly crafted page-turner.”–Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes and The Half Moon
From the beloved author of the “uniquely poignant” (Entertainment Weekly) novel The Blessings comes a gripping story about three friends in their forties forced to reckon with their lives during a college reunion in coastal Maine.
It’s June 2021, and three old college friends are heading to New England and the twenty-fifth reunion that was delayed the year before. Hope, a stay-at-home mom, is desperate for a return to her beloved campus, a reprieve from her tense marriage, and the stresses of pandemic parenting. Adam is hesitant to leave his bucolic but secluded life with his wife and their young sons. Single mother Polly hasn’t been back to campus in more than twenty years and has no interest in returning–but changes her mind when her struggling teenage son suggests a road trip.
But the reunion isn’t what any of them had envisioned. Hope, always upbeat, is no longer able to downplay the pressures of life at home or the cracks in her longstanding friendships. Adam finds himself energized by the memory of his carefree, reckless younger self–which only reminds him how much has changed since those halcyon days. Polly cannot ignore the ghosts of her college years, including a closely guarded secret. When the weekend takes a startling turn, all three find themselves reckoning with the past–and how it will bear on the future.
Beautifully observed and insightful, Reunion is a page-turning novel about the highs and lows of friendship from a writer at the height of her powers.
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