Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano

Within Arm's Reach is the debut novel by Ann Napolitano, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward. This national bestseller tells the story of three generations of an Irish-American Catholic family thrown into crisis when Gracie, an unmarried granddaughter, becomes pregnant by a man she doesn't love. At the same time, the family matriarch, Catharine, struggles with her commitments to both the living and the dead from her care facility.

The novel is told through six different points of view, weaving together the voices of family members across generations to explore themes of guilt, loyalty, the weight of the past, and the bonds of love that endure even when words fail. Napolitano's lyrical prose and deeply drawn characters bring the McLaughlin family vividly to life in this poignant, humorous, and ultimately hopeful story.

Published by Dial Press Trade Paperback (Penguin Random House), the paperback edition runs 352 pages. Ann Napolitano received her MFA from New York University and has taught fiction writing at Brooklyn College, NYU, and the Gotham Writers Workshop. She was previously associate editor of the literary magazine One Story.