Another Piece of My Heart

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emilys eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her fathers love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts.

ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.

“[Green] has a soothing voice. It is a pleasure to listen to her as she brings the characters to life.” - ­Record-Courier

Praise for

Another Piece of My Heart

“A clear-eyed look at our idealized notions of love, family, and motherhood…Green is at her finest with this compelling novel. Deeper, more complicated, and more ambitious than her previous books, it will keep readers on edge as they wait to see how these tense family dynamics play out.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Told with her trademark sensitivity and insight, Greens latest offers everything readers expect from her: a moving story peopled with nuanced, sympathetic characters.” —Booklist

“Green ramps up the emotional stakes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fans of Greens female-centric bestsellers will relish this latest family melodrama…Green paints a clear-eyed portrait of the challenges of step-parenting while offering hope that in even the most damaged relationships, dreams can come true.” —People

“A warm bath of a novel that draws you in…Greens sympathetic portrayals of Andi and Emily resonate.” —USA Today

“Could be the biggest novel of the bestselling writers career.” —The Connecticut Post

“Green finds honesty in [Andi and Emilys] alternating voices.” —Publishers Weekly

“Green creates emotionally nuanced characters, first setting the scene from Andis view, then shifting to Emilys first-person perspective. Green creates sympathy for Emily, by giving her hurt and insecurity an authentic teenage voice. While the character details of Greens family drama are unique, the emotions ring true and universal.” —The New Jersey Star-Ledger

“Jane Green surpasses herself in her latest novel, a powerful and moving story of a family on the edge of emotional wreckage, and how love truly can—when combined with strength, patience and a little bit of grace—conquer all. I flew through it, unable to sleep until I knew how it turned out. Thats how much she made me care.” —Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of Devotion

“Jane Green writes of true love, instant families and the heartache of happily ever after with skill, grace and wisdom. You will laugh and cry as you read Andis story, and youll be inspired to pick up the phone and call your best friend to read a scene aloud. Its that good. Its that riveting. Its essential reading for the modern woman looking for connection and escape.”—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Lucia, Lucia and the Valentine Series

“Another Piece of My Heart is an ambitious, at times devastating, and always wise novel that conveys the endless ways in which family both destroys us and saves us, very often at the same time.”—Jonathan Tropper, bestselling author of This Is Where I Leave You

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emilys eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her fathers love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts.

ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.

Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emilys eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her fathers love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts.

ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.

Jane Green is the bestselling author of Family Pictures—available in trade paperback from St. Martins Griffin—as well as twelve other novels, dealing with real women, real life, and all the things in between, with her trademark wisdom, wit, and warmth. She contributes to various publications, both online and in print, including the Huffington Post, the Sunday Times, and assorted anthologies. Passionate about both food and the home, she spends most weekends cooking up a storm in her home in Westport, Connecticut, where she lives by the beach with her husband and their many children.

1. Jane Greens novel, Another Piece of My Heart, opens with an anonymous quote: “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” What exactly does this mean? How does it apply to Andi? To Emily? To other characters in the book? Would you say the quote applies to your life? How?

2. As the novel so vividly portrays, being part of a blended family can be extremely challenging. What are some of the mistakes Andi and Ethan make? What should they have done differently? What are some of the challenges that you and your own family have faced together?

3. From the beginning, Ethans younger daughter, Sophia, is very accepting of Andi, while his adolescent daughter, Emily, is resentful and rude. When it comes to dealing with big issues like divorce and second marriages, do you think its harder for younger children or for teenagers? How is it different, and why?

4. After five years of living together as a family, Andi still feels uncomfortable confronting or disciplining Emily—mostly because Ethan is a defensive dad. Do you think most parents are overprotective and blind to their childrens faults? Do you believe “it takes a village” to raise a child—or its none of your business? Have you ever given and/or received child-rearing advice? How did it go?

5. The author describes the relationship between Andi and Emily as “a pendulum swinging from love to hate.” Have you experienced anything like that in your own family? Is it normal or acceptable for teenagers to “hate” their parents or stepparents? Should you simply wait for the child to “grow out of it” or try to actively deal with the problem? How?

6. Andis neighbors tell her that “Ethan feels constantly guilty” about his divorce and its impact on his children—which is why he lets Emily get away with so much bad behavior. Emily, in turn, seems to take advantage of his guilt. Have you ever felt guilty over something that affects your family? Have you ever felt manipulated by a loved one?

7. Andi notices some dramatic differences between the home she grew up in and the family she married into—especially when it comes to setting “boundaries” with children. Do you think parenting has changed in recent years? Are parents more lenient today? Are children more spoiled? Would you raise a child the same way you were raised, or would you do it differently?

8. After Ethan tells Andi that he doesnt want to adopt a child, he feels her pull away from him, as if “a switch has been flicked” in their relationship. Is he justified in his feelings on the subject of adoption, or is he being selfish? Is Andi justified in her feelings? What sort of things can change the way you feel about a loved one?

9. Nearly halfway through the book, the author begins to write some of the chapters from Emilys first-person point of view. Why? How does each characters point of view play a role in the story? Which characters point of view do you relate to the most? Which character do you relate to the least?

10. Andi, Brooke, and Emily represent three types of mothers. How are they different? How are they alike? Does Emily have the right to call herself Cals “mother” after leaving him with Andi for three years? Do you think Andi has a legal right to have full custody? And, at some point in the future, do you think Emily should be able to get her child back?

11. What does it mean to be a “real mother”?