An elegant and haunting novel of love and family, The Tell demands that we reconsider our notions of marriageduty, compromise, betrayal, and the choice to stand by or leave the ones we love

For Mira and Owen, a young, childless couple living in Providence, marital and financial troubles are simmering just below the surfaceuntil Wilton Deere, a wealthy, over-the-hill actor, moves in next door. With no friends to speak of and an estranged daughter to win back, the desperate Wilton inserts himself into the younger couples lives. As stresses at work and home take their toll, Mira disappears secretly to casinos and slot machines, accompanied by Wilton. In time, her escapism turns to full-on addiction, threatening a marital bond that is fraying by the day. Adrift and alone, Owen finds himself with nowhere to turn but to the beautiful and mysterious Anya, Wiltons daughter, who is testing her ability to trust her father after years apart.

As Owen and Miras marriage reaches what can only be the breaking point, Wilton suddenly disappears. The two must come together to find him and confront the new reality of their relationship complete with sobering lessons learned but perhaps, if they can weather a storm of their own making, none the weaker for it.

The Tell is a book about risks: of marriage, of dependence, of responsibility, of living in the past. Told with equal parts suspense, sympathy, and psychological complexity, it shows us the intimate and shifting ways we reveal ourselves before we act, and what we assume yet dont know about the people we love.