Hello Goodbye

The summer after Abby Hansen's first year of college -- and several months after doctors find a malignant tumor in her mother Helen's brain -- she and her parents drive to northern New Hampshire to say goodbye to a lifetime of friends. During a single week at a historic resort, the family welcomes a small procession of visitors, and shares with them the heartache of Helen's imminent passing. As the week progresses, the Hansens and their guests deal with Helen's illness in varied, sometimes surprising ways, and Abby, drawn to the youthful, mischievous staff of the hotel is torn between her duties to her family and the pleasures of her new life as an adult. For all involved, the occasion unexpectedly becomes one of awakening rather than farewell, as they discover how life inevitably blossoms in the face of death.

"Chenoweth writes with a restraint that allows minor gestures to become elegantly weighted with meaning."--New Yorker on Hello Goodbye

"A tender ode to empathy.... Every page of this book serves as an affirmation of the terrible, wrenching beauty of life."--Elle Magazine on Hello Goodbye

"Moving and assured.... Chenoweth's smart, unsentimental and poignant takes on living and dying ring true, and her exploration of coming-of-age and coming to terms with mortality is divine."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Hello Goodbye

"A beautiful novel ...Chenoweth's eye for telling detail is as sure as her language is playful."--Alice Sebold, author of The Almost Moon and The Lovely Bones, on Hello Goodbye

"[Chenoweth] writes gracefully and eloquently of loss and love, portraying both generations at their most self-absorbed and most vulnerable."--Library Journal on Hello Goodbye

"Elegantly crafted."--Vanity Fair on Hello Goodbye

"An understated debut novel of great beauty and power."--Kirkus Reviews on Hello Goodbye

"Poignant."--Boston Globe on Hello Goodbye

"Tender....Chenoweth's affectionate style works marvelously, capturing the decadence of youth."--New York Times on Hello Goodbye

"Chenoweth avoids sentimentality, handling emotions with grace and consummate skill."--New York Journal of Books

"This bright, well-crafted novel, set at a family gathering to celebrate a mother whose death is imminent, steers competently away from the maudlin and makes what could be a heavy-handed exploration of mortality instead an entertaining, sometimes delicate story."--Lydia Millet

This bright, well-crafted novel, set at a family gathering to celebrate a mother whose death is imminent, steers competently away from the maudlin and makes what could be a heavy-handed exploration of mortality instead an entertaining, sometimes delicate story. --Lydia Millet"

Chenoweth avoids sentimentality, handling emotions with grace and consummate skill. --New York Journal of Books"

Tender....Chenoweth s affectionate style works marvelously, capturing the decadence of youth. --New York Times on Hello Goodbye"

Chenoweth writes with a restraint that allows minor gestures to become elegantly weighted with meaning. --New Yorker on Hello Goodbye"

Poignant. --Boston Globe on Hello Goodbye"

Elegantly crafted. --Vanity Fair on Hello Goodbye"

A tender ode to empathy.... Every page of this book serves as an affirmation of the terrible, wrenching beauty of life. --Elle Magazine on Hello Goodbye"

Moving and assured.... Chenoweth s smart, unsentimental and poignant takes on living and dying ring true, and her exploration of coming-of-age and coming to terms with mortality is divine. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Hello Goodbye"

An understated debut novel of great beauty and power. --Kirkus Reviews on Hello Goodbye"

[Chenoweth] writes gracefully and eloquently of loss and love, portraying both generations at their most self-absorbed and most vulnerable. --Library Journal on Hello Goodbye"

A beautiful novel ...Chenoweth s eye for telling detail is as sure as her language is playful. --Alice Sebold, author of The Almost Moon and The Lovely Bones, on Hello Goodbye"