The Idea of Love: A Novel - Softcover

Henry, Patti Callahan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250093864 ISBN 13: 9781250093868

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2016

Synopsis

Ella's life has been completely upended. She's young, beautiful, and deeply in love--until her husband dies in a tragic sailing accident. Or so she'll have everyone believe. Screenwriter Hunter needs a hit, but crippling writers' block and a serious lack of motivation are getting him nowhere. He's on the lookout for a love story. It doesn't matter who it belongs to.

When Hunter and Ella meet in Watersend, South Carolina, it feels like the perfect match, something close to fate. In Ella, Hunter finds the perfect love story, full of longing and sacrifice. It's the stuff of epic films. In Hunter, Ella finds possibility. It's an opportunity to live out a fantasy--the life she wishes she had. And more real. Besides--what's a little white lie between strangers?

But one lie leads to another, and soon Hunter and Ella find themselves caught in a web of deceit. As they try to untangle their lies and reclaim their lives, they feel something stronger is keeping them together. From New York Times bestselling author, Patti Callahan Henry, The Idea of Love asks, "Can two people come together for all the wrong reasons and still make it right?"

About this title

About the Author

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include The Stories We Tell, Between the Tides, and Driftwood Summer. Patti lives with her husband and three children in Mountain Brook, Alabama, where she is working on her next novel.

Review

Praise for Patti Callahan Henry: "Patti Callahan Henry seamlessly combines mystery, family love, and personal journey all in one engrossing tale. From the intriguing beginning to the touching ending, The Stories We Tell is filled with the warmth, heart and compassion that have become the trademark of her novels." --Diane Chamberlain, author of Necessary Lies
"Patti Callahan Henry's THE STORIES WE TELL is a lyrical exploration of love and longing, secrets and suspicion, family and friendship, all told with the author's trademark insights into the hollows and curves of the heart and mind of a working woman who must balance the demands of motherhood, wifedom, sisterhood, and yes, the deepest cravings for artistic expression. I always love the stories PCH tells!" --Mary Kay Andrews, author of Ladies' Night
"THE STORIES WE TELL fearlessly explores the textures of the human heart, finding a path toward hope through a Savannah that is jagged with class issues, faith misused, and broken trust. Henry loses you in a landscape peopled with secret keepers, storytellers and liars, and proves that in the end, love is the only reliable compass. This is everything you expect from Patti Callahan Henry---lyrical writing, characters worth rooting for, a sure-footed belief in the power of goodness---plus a twisty plot that will keep the pages turning long into the night."
-Joshilyn Jackson, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Someone Else's Love Story
""Book clubs rejoice--your next pick is here! THE STORIES WE TELL unfolds in surprising ways; Patti Callahan Henry understands the delicate balance of power inside a marriage. They can look so externally perfect they can even fool even the people living inside them... for a little while. I loved her portrayal of a strong woman who isn't afraid to be successful, even when others find it threatening, and who is bold enough to seek the truth, even when living inside the lies is safer and more comfortable."
-Sara Gruen, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Water for Elephants" and "Ape House
""Henry has mastered the art of the slow reveal, leading the reader down unexpected paths. Readers who enjoy southern women's fiction a la Joshilyn Jackson (Someone Else's Love Story, 2013) will appreciate this emotionally satisfying novel." -"Booklist
"
"The Stories We Tell is the book we have waiting for Patti Callahan Henry to write . . . the complexities of the relationships in this book are the heart of it . . . all of these relationships are handled with deftness and clarity by Henry. She goes inside her characters' heads and paints word pictures that truly bring them to life . . . There has always been a beauty to Henry's writing but now she adds a layer of real maturity to her story. It is one readers can absorb and enjoy with complete freedom. Henry has this story in the palm of her hand and she places it before us with care and consideration. The Stories We Tell is the book we have been waiting for her to write." -"Huffington Post Books
""Richly layered and deeply accessible, The Stories We Tell is a moving exploration of love, family and finding the courage to move on." -"Shelf Awareness"

Praise for "The Idea of Love"

"Patti Callahan Henry's new novel THE IDEA OF LOVE is so wonderful I wish I had written it myself. It's clever and funny and it makes you think twice about all your personal relationships. I can't wait to see what she writes next! Congratulations, Ms. Henry. This is a huge winner - no lie!"
--Dorothea Benton FrankPraise for Patti Callahan Henry: "Patti Callahan Henry seamlessly combines mystery, family love, and personal journey all in one engrossing tale. From the intriguing beginning to the touching ending, The Stories We Tell is filled with the warmth, heart and compassion that have become the trademark of her novels." --Diane Chamberlain, author of Necessary Lies
"Patti Callahan Henry's THE STORIES WE TELL is a lyrical exploration of love and longing, secrets and suspicion, family and friendship, all told with the author's trademark insights into the hollows and curves of the heart and mind of a working woman who must balance the demands of motherhood, wifedom, sisterhood, and yes, the deepest cravings for artistic expression. I always love the stories PCH tells!" --Mary Kay Andrews, author of Ladies' Night
"THE STORIES WE TELL fearlessly explores the textures of the human heart, finding a path toward hope through a Savannah that is jagged with class issues, faith misused, and broken trust. Henry loses you in a landscape peopled with secret keepers, storytellers and liars, and proves that in the end, love is the only reliable compass. This is everything you expect from Patti Callahan Henry---lyrical writing, characters worth rooting for, a sure-footed belief in the power of goodness---plus a twisty plot that will keep the pages turning long into the night."
-Joshilyn Jackson, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Someone Else's Love Story
""Book clubs rejoice--your next pick is here! THE STORIES WE TELL unfolds in surprising ways; Patti Callahan Henry understands the delicate balance of power inside a marriage. They can look so externally perfect they can even fool even the people living inside them... for a little while. I loved her portrayal of a strong woman who isn't afraid to be successful, even when others find it threatening, and who is bold enough to seek the truth, even when living inside the lies is safer and more comfortable."
-Sara Gruen, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Water for Elephants" and "Ape House
""Henry has mastered the art of the slow reveal, leading the reader down unexpected paths. Readers who enjoy southern women's fiction a la Joshilyn Jackson (Someone Else's Love Story, 2013) will appreciate this emotionally satisfying novel." -"Booklist
"
"The Stories We Tell is the book we have waiting for Patti Callahan Henry to write . . . the complexities of the relationships in this book are the heart of it . . . all of these relationships are handled with deftness and clarity by Henry. She goes inside her characters' heads and paints word pictures that truly bring them to life . . . There has always been a beauty to Henry's writing but now she adds a layer of real maturity to her story. It is one readers can absorb and enjoy with complete freedom. Henry has this story in the palm of her hand and she places it before us with care and consideration. The Stories We Tell is the book we have been waiting for her to write." -"Huffington Post Books
""Richly layered and deeply accessible, The Stories We Tell is a moving exploration of love, family and finding the courage to move on." -"Shelf Awareness"

Praise for "The Idea of Love"

Praise for Patti Callahan Henry:

-Joshilyn Jackson, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Someone Else's Love Story

-Sara Gruen, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Water for Elephants" and "Ape House

"The Stories We Tell is the book we have waiting for Patti Callahan Henry to write . . . the complexities of the relationships in this book are the heart of it . . . all of these relationships are handled with deftness and clarity by Henry. She goes inside her characters' heads and paints word pictures that truly bring them to life . . . There has always been a beauty to Henry's writing but now she adds a layer of real maturity to her story. It is one readers can absorb and enjoy with complete freedom. Henry has this story in the palm of her hand and she places it before us with care and consideration. The Stories We Tell is the book we have been waiting for her to write." -"Huffington Post Books

""Richly layered and deeply accessible, The Stories We Tell is a moving exploration of love, family and finding the courage to move on." -"Shelf Awareness"

"Patti Callahan Henry's new novel THE IDEA OF LOVE is so wonderful I wish I had written it myself.? It's clever and funny and it makes you think twice about all your personal relationships. I can't wait to see what she writes next! Congratulations, Ms. Henry. This is a huge winner - no lie!"?

""Henry has mastered the art of the slow reveal, leading the reader down unexpected paths. Readers who enjoy southern women's fiction a la Joshilyn Jackson (Someone Else's Love Story, 2013) will appreciate this emotionally satisfying novel." -"Booklist"

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1250093864
• ISBN 13: 9781250093868
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256