Alex Kiester

The Truth about Ben and June Alex Kiester

"This powerful novel takes an honest, unflinching look at the challenges of modern parenthood from both sides of a marriage." - Tracey Lange, New York Times bestselling author of We Are the Brennans

A heartfelt debut that explores the complexity of a modern-day marriage when a new mother vanishes one morning and her husband must retrace events of their recent past to bring her home.

Love isn't something that happens to you; it's something you must choose every day.

From the moment Ben and June met in a hospital waiting room on New Year's Eve, their love has seemed fated. Looking back at all the tiny, unlikely decisions that brought them together, it was easy to believe their relationship was special. But now, after several years of marriage, June is struggling as a new mom. At times, she wonders about the life she didn't choose--what might have been if she hadn't given up the lead role in a famous ballet to start a family. Feeling like a bad mom and more alone than ever, she writes to her deceased mother, hoping for a sign of what she should do next.

One morning, Ben wakes to the sound of his baby and quickly realizes that June is gone, along with her suitcase. As Ben attempts to piece together June's disappearance, her new friends mention things he knows nothing about--a mysterious petition, June's falling-out with another mom, her strange fixation on a Greek myth. The more Ben uncovers about June, the more he realizes how little he actually knows her. And now the only way to bring June home is to understand why she left.

Told through alternating perspectives of husband and wife, The Truth About Ben and June is a witty and wise page-turner about life's many crossroads and a heartfelt reminder that we create our own destiny.