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Draw Near to Me: An Evening with Michelle Brafman

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Book cover: Draw near to me: a novel by Brafman, Michelle

Draw near to me: a novel

"In this highly-anticipated sequel to Swimming with Ghosts, the discovery of a desperately-hidden secret brings a family to the brink of collapse-the exact place where they may ultimately find true healing and forgiveness. One day before a freak accident lands devoted wife and mother Kristy Weinstein in a coma, her husband, David, discovers a devastating secret she'd been keeping for months. While Kristy's life hangs in the balance, broken-hearted David, a high-risk OB with a God complex, must grapple with his pride and demons in order to make impossible decisions about his career, wife, and the new baby that has served as a joyful family distraction from the roiling tensions of Kristy's betrayal. Their college-aged daughter Mia, nicknamed "Scoop," clashes with her family as she tries to solve the mystery of the events leading up to her mother's coma, and Patrick, Kristy's half-brother, fights to hold on to his sobriety and his beloved fiancée while he nearly crumbles under the fear of losing his sister and the responsibility of showing up for Kristy's family. With Kristy increasingly unavailable to them, each family member is pushed to find kinship in surprising places and to heal old wounds by drawing near those who have damaged them the most. This is a timely story about the emotional and spiritual work it takes to repair an impossible rupture in a marriage, a relationship, a family, and in turn the larger communities in which we live, hope, and love"-- Provided by publisher.

This book will be available for purchase at the event.

About This Event

We excited to host Michelle Brafman for her new book, Draw Near to Me. In this highly-anticipated sequel to Swimming with Ghosts, the discovery of a desperately-hidden secret brings a family to the brink of collapse—the exact place where they may ultimately find true healing and forgiveness. She will be in conversation with Rachel Kamin, Director of Lifelong Learning at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El.

Michelle Brafman is the author of Washing the Dead, Bertrand Court: Stories, and Swimming with Ghosts, the companion novel to Draw Near to Me. Her work has appeared in Oprah Daily, O Quarterly, Slate, LitHub, Tablet, The Forward, and elsewhere. She teaches fiction writing in the Johns Hopkins University MA in Writing Program and spoken about her work and the creative process at more than 200 venues, including book stores, literary festivals, classrooms, synagogues, and myriad book groups. Learn more at michellebrafman.com.

Featured Author

Brafman, Michelle

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