Daughter's Keeper

Daughter's Keeper is an important, engaging and at times heartbreaking novel about mothers, daughters and justice. Ayelet Waldman mixes family psychology with courtroom tension in a story that catapults self-sufficient Elaine and her headstrong daughter Olivia into a nightmarish scenario when Olivia falls victim to the ferocity of the war on drugs.

A compelling novel that exposes the inequities of a system that sees only in black and white, Daughter's Keeper truly shines as a testament to the unshakable bond between mothers and daughters.

"Ayelet Waldman's Daughter's Keeper is a powerhouse novel of complex emotions and legal intricacy, so compelling that when I finished the book, I started over again." Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club

"Ayelet Waldman has brought the war on drugs home, and has shown us just how close to home it can come. Her mother and daughter reminded me of the women I most love and for whom I hold the greatest fear, those women and girls who fight tooth and nail, when their best hope lies in supporting each other. She looks past headlines and into the heart. What she finds there is hope for us all." Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina

"Waldman has written Daughter's Keeper with enough intelligence, tenderness, and craft to shape outrage into a story that is both moving and enthralling." Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity

"Be prepared to stay up all night....Daughter's Keeper is a zippily intelligent and emotionally charged peephole into the peculiar politics that govern motherhood and the American legal system." Heidi Julavitz, author of The Mineral Palace

"Smart and involving, it is a story of second chances, of reclaiming what has been lost, and of finding your way through the darkness and into the light." Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Samurai's Garden

"A riveting story, as generous as it is large; Waldman presents a tale that unfolds layer by layer, revealing the complexities of sacrifice and regret, alongside that ultimate desire to DO RIGHT, in this triumph of mother-daughter love." Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle

"In Daughter's Keeper, Ayelet Waldman shows that the power of love, even when prickling with thorns, can ultimately provide what the criminal system cannot: a hard-fought, hard-won second chance." Glen David Gold, author of Carter Beats the Devil

"Waldman takes a somewhat didactic approach — U.S. drug laws are discussed at length, and the story of Elaine and Olivia's relationship can read like a case history — but Waldman's passion and affection for her characters shines through." Publishers Weekly

"A slow, downbeat story....Waldman explores the mother-daughter relationship with a sure touch, but her didactic political stance is wearying." Kirkus Reviews

How much would you sacrifice to save someone you love?

When Olivia, wild-haired and headstrong, makes a terrible mistake, she must turn to the person least likely to help--her mother, Elaine. Motherhood was a role that Elaine never embraced and her best never amounted to much. But now Olivia faces prosecution for a naive connection to a drug deal and she needs Elaine more than ever. As the days count down and Olivia's future hangs in the balance, Elaine must decide just how much she is willing to give for a second chance with her daughter.

With Daughter's Keeper, Ayelet Waldman has crafted a redemptive journey at once highly emotional and unbearably suspenseful, as Olivia and Elaine's struggle builds to a beautiful, heart-wrenching climax. In this luminous, gripping novel, Waldman brings to life the tensions and the tenderness that forge the unshakeable bond between parent and child. Daughter's Keeper reveals the unlimited boundaries of forgiveness and the sacrifices we make for love.

A powerhouse novel of complex emotions so compelling that when I finished the book, I started over again.--Amy Tan

In Daughter's Keeper, Ayelet Waldman shows that the power of love, even when prickling with thorns, can ultimately provide what the criminal system cannot: a hard-fought, hard-won second chance.--Glen David Gold, author of Carter Beats the Devil

Waldman's passion and affection for her characters shine through.--Publishers Weekly

Waldman has written Daughter's Keeper with enough intelligence, tenderness and craft to shape outrage into a story that is both moving and enthralling. --Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity

Ayelet Waldman has brought the war on drugs home, and has shown us just how close to home it can come....She looks past headlines and into the heart. What she finds there is hope for us all. --Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina

When Olivia, wild-haired and headstrong, makes a terrible mistake, she must turn to the person least likely to help--her mother, Elaine.

Ayelet Waldman graduated from Harvard Law School and clerked for a federal judge prior to becoming a public defender. She is also the author of a successful mystery series including, among others, Nursery Crimes and The Big Nap. CBS is developing the mysteries for a TV series, and the pilot is being fast-tracked. She lives with her husband, Pulitzer Prize?winning author Michael Chabon, in Berkeley, California.