Things don't break on their own

When Willa was a teenager, her sister Laika disappeared walking to school. No trace of her was ever found, and every suspect had a firm alibi. Willa was haunted by the loss of her sister and felt alone, lonely, and desperate. Then her family moved to avoid the tenacious British media, and Willa transferred to a new school. There, she met Robyn and spent the best summer of her life with Robyn's family, after which the girls became staunch friends. As she grew up, Willa never gave up hope of finding Laika--constantly thinking she'd spotted her in the street or on a bus or across a park--but that led to her never really focusing on an education or a career or finding a boyfriend. Now grown and struggling with her life, she's invited to a dinner party at Robyn's, where she meets Claudette, who's French and reminds Willa very much of Laika. But after two decades, Willa's no longer sure of who her sister really was or what she'd look like now. Still, meeting Claudette sets off a cataclysmic cycle of events with a stunning resolution that changes Willa's life forever. A gripping book about families, loyalty, lies, and love that is at once heartwarming and horrifying.

A stray comment at a dinner party proves seismic in Easter Collins's devastating debut. After Willa Martenwood's younger sister, Laika, goes missing near their wealthy family's London home, a teenage Willa escapes the ensuing media circus by transferring to a boarding school. There, she becomes friends and secret lovers with her roommate, Robyn Bee. Twenty-two years later, Robyn is a happily married mother of three, while Willa is engaged to boorish cad Jamie and remains obsessed with finding Laika, whom she believes is still alive. When Robyn invites Willa to a dinner party she and her wife, Cat, are hosting, Cat bristles; she's jealous of Willa and fears Jamie will ruin the night. Still, the evening goes smoothly enough­--until one guest makes an offhand remark regarding the thesis they're working on about the corruptibility of memory, which sends Willa down a rabbit hole and eventually convinces her that Laika might be closer than she thought. In kaleidoscopic first-person narration that alternates between Robyn and Willa's perspectives, Easter Collins skips back and forth in time, imparting details about each woman's past and fleshing out their characters at a steady clip. Though the plot goes to some far-fetched places, evocative prose holds the whole thing together, and Easter Collins enriches the mystery with some thoughtful reflections on the rippling effects of domestic violence. It's an auspicious start. Agent: Felicity Blunt, Curtis Brown U.K. (July)

1 Supper with Friends ROBYN The match flares in the half-dark of our kitchen. As I lean toward the candles, light slips along the silver lines of the bowl that forms the centerpiece of the table. I stand back, making one final check of the linen, the glasses, the place settings, the eight mismatched chairs. Cat walks in. "Okay," she says, "the twins are asleep. Sophie's in bed and reading. I've told her it's fine to come down so long as she takes herself back up. What's still to do?" "We're pretty much there. Make yourself a drink." "I'm saving myself for when Jamie gets here." "Don't." "Last time he delivered us forty-five minutes on the engineering works between here and the coast. Remember? Forty-five sodding minutes . If he does that again, I'm feigning death." My wife rummages in a drawer and pulls out a bottle opener. "I honestly don't know what Willa sees in him." "He wants kids." "She's well aware there're other ways. Anyway, she's got to want more than that--" "It's all she wants." "Basic compatibility for a start. I mean, why Jamie?" "She's thirty-eight. You know it's a tricky subject." "Everything's tricky--" " Cat-- " "This was meant to be a family get-together. Sibs . It's almost impossible to get Michael and Nate in London at the exact same time." "Willa's practically family." "Uh-huh." "She's been through so much." "Sure." Cat gives me daggers, then just as quickly lets it go. "I know." I look at the table, running a hand through my hair. "D'you reckon everyone will get on?" Cat pulls me to her. "Course they will. It's nearly Christmas, plus we've been cooking all afternoon. They're duty-bound. By the way," she says, turning me so my silver top glitters in the candlelight, "you look truly lovely." "Thought I might dress up a little." "You always dress up for Willa," she says, narrowing her eyes, "your first love." "I should never have told you that." "Doorbell," she says. "I'll go." I hear voices in the hallway: Cat first, then Jamie's deep-toned reply. I lean against the table, face turned toward the kitchen door. And then there she is, Willa. Excerpted from Things Don't Break on Their Own: A Novel by Sarah Easter Collins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.