Promise the Moon »

Elizabeth Arnold was raised in New York, and has degrees from Vassar College and Princeton University. She lives with her husband in Hopewell, New Jersey, where she is at work on her next novel.

In the heart of every family lie shattering secrets,
and a love that lasts forever...

When war and its aftermath take Josh from Natalie and her children, she must find a way to heal her broken family. And so Natalie begins writing letters from Josh that she hides for young Anna and Toby to find—notes from heaven that attempt to explain why he left, to offer comfort and wisdom. But when Anna suddenly reveals that her father has been speaking to her from heaven, divulging stories only Josh could know, Natalie must uncover the secrets of her husband’s past—secrets he hid to protect his family.

As Natalie’s search brings her closer to her own parents and reunites her with a love from long ago, she and her children will discover just how much of a hero Josh actually was—and that only by finally revealing the truths they’ve hidden from each other can they find peace, a fresh start, and the promise of a hopeful future….

Publishers Weekly

In the grim latest from Arnold (Pieces of My Sister's Life), Josh, a Camp Pendleton marine, returns from Iraq with PTSD and takes his own life; widow Natalie and the couple's two children-Anna, 10, and Toby, 5-are plunged into confusion and grief. With the military holding up Josh's benefits (if the suicide wasn't due to PTSD, it's unlawful misconduct), Natalie is forced to move back in with her parents-a mother dying of Alzheimer's and a distant father-in her hometown a day's drive away. Every question she asks of the marines and of returned veterans about what happened in Iraq is met with silence. Arnold expertly alternates between Natalie and Anna's narration, using their engaging and very different voices to reveal the lies they tell, hoping to shield each other from a hurt that can't be prevented. Though Arnold has a beautiful grasp of the characters' heart-stopping pain, the book dwells on Natalie's grief-stricken paralysis, leaving the plot to slowly advance through chance. The finale stumbles as Arnold struggles to give resolution to a family drama that can't be resolved, only survived. (May)

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