Every Precious and Fragile Thing: A Novel

Mallory Ward, a social worker dedicated to helping at-risk youth, faces a turning point after one of her clients is killed. Struggling with long-standing resentment toward her distant mother, she returns to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to reassess her life. There, she confronts not only renewed tensions with her mother but also the unexpected reappearance of someone from her past and the painful losses that caused her to leave a decade earlier. Helen Ward's home is decorated with keepsakes from her patients, reflecting her decades of work caring for the terminally ill. Her career has always taken priority, leaving little opportunity to build a relationship with her daughter. The distance between them has grown into a significant rift. When Mallory arrives unexpectedly, Helen views it as a chance to mend their broken bond. However, hidden among Helen's mementos lies a secret from her past—one that threatens to destroy the fragile trust beginning to form between mother and daughter.