This is a family saga: two American families become neighbours and (the husbands) work colleagues, and their lives are entwined for both good and ill.
I liked the complexity of the relationships between the Stanhope and Gleeson families and the way that no character is ultimately good or bad. This really resonated with me.
Other reviewers have said they found it very American but I really didn’t feel that. Their lives felt very universal to me.
I wouldn’t give it five stars - there was something about the pacing that didn’t quite work for me, and I thought it occasionally needed more momentum - but I think that Keane is a great writer and this is a really good novel. In fact, it reminded me of some of my favourites: Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, Margaret Forster.
Recommended. A really engrossing read.

This is quite a schmaltzy, American affair. A long tale of two friends, from early on in their careers to being neighbours and friends with their respective families. It is a descriptive prose, painting a picture of the US through the years and the writing style reminded me of Anne Tyler, always a good thing!

If you can get past the phrasing and Americanisms, it is a good heavyweight of a story, plenty of life is laid out bare and pecked over. It makes you sad in parts, happy in others. Cleverly written and well laid out. Not a light read by any means, but a very enjoyable and reflective one.

Couldn't put it down, intrigued right to the end.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found this book quite easy to read and well written, I became a little disconnected and struggled a little with not being familiar with the American way of life plus some differences in vocabulary, however the basic story over rode this. It deals with a lot of thorny issues with the emphasis on mental health and lack of help when tragedies happened a while ago before there was such help available. The book covers quite a long period in time and focuses on two characters who are children at the start of the book plus their respective families who are mainly first generation immigrants so there is little fall back on a wider family and background. A few twists and turns which keeps the readers attention but on the whole I found the book rather long and a little slow at times.

At the end of ‘Ask Again Yes’, Lena says to her husband as they think back over half a century, ‘“I think we’ve been luckier than most people.”’ This might seem strange when the reader considers that this novel has focused unflinchingly on mental illness, alcoholism, abuse, abandonment and physical disfigurement. Yet Mary Beth Keane’s focus on two families living in the New York suburbs has at its heart the importance of love and forgiveness. If this sounds shmaltzy, fear not. Throughout the novel, she writes bravely and with clear insight about familial friction and dysfunction.
Those who enjoy the novels of Celeste Ng will find plenty to be engrossed by in ‘Ask Again Yes’. Mary Beth Keane’s creation of real, engaging and important characters allows the reader to appreciate just how difficult it is to live with someone whose mental illness means that she has a very different view of the world, who often withdraws, who feels as if everyone is against her. This is how it is for Anne Stanhope’s family.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, both originally from Ireland, meet through training together in the NY police academy and a few years later become neighbours, bringing up their families in respectable suburb of Gillam which is ‘nice enough but lonely’ for Francis’ wife, Lena, who has three daughters in quick succession. Try as she might to befriend Brian’s wife, Anne, the latter refuses these overtures. Nevertheless, over the years her son, Peter, and Kate, the youngest Gleeson girl, become the best of friends.
When Anne behaves in such a way that has terrible consequences for Francis, ensuring that she is sectioned indefinitely, the teenage Peter moves to New York city to live with his uncle George, no longer able to rely on his father. He appears to cope magnificently with the family breakdown and it is only when he has a young family himself that the wounds of the past open, threatening to destroy all that he loves. Mary Beth Keane shows us that previous tragedies always make their mark. It is how the afflicted are treated that will make the difference between a life well led or one that mirrors the past.
My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This is an original story, set in suburban upstate New York where 2 policeman and their wives set up home. Lena has a daughter Kate, and is struggling to settle away from life in the city so is delighted when Anne moves in next door, and has a baby Peter. Although Peter and Kate grow up as friends, Anne seems cold and keeps to herself. No one realises how mentally unstable she really is until tragedy strikes. I loved the story of Peter and Kate, as well as their parents, it kept me reading too late! Some difficult subjects were tackled but it always felt like a very real story.

Ask again, yes took me a little while to get through. Although I did enjoy the plot of the book it just didn’t seem to be gripping me in any meaningful way that made me want to return to it.

The book reads from several different perspectives, which works really well here and gives a nice 360 view of every event.

The Stanhopes and Gleesons are next door neighbours, the fathers used to be partners back when they were cops in the same precinct. This shared history, however, does not bring them together. Their children, Peter Stanhope and Kate Gleeson are best friends who spend every day together. That is until Peter’s mother is sent over the edge and commits a violent crime.

The story follows the events of both family’s lives until their paths are once again entwined and they must face new obstacles together as a unit.

Mary Beth Keane has created an enjoyable book with some powerful life lessons, but I’m afraid I just wasn’t given enough of these characters to know or care about them. The way she has written about some of the serious issues in life we sometimes refuse to deal with is admirable and very well done.

The ending, though heartwarming, was rather anti climactic and slightly boring to me. I can’t say precisely what it is I wanted from this book but I do know that I feel something is missing.

If you want to learn a little something about forgiveness, understanding and compassion I would still definitely recommend this one.

I didn't know what sort of book this was when I got sent it, just that I'd read similar things before and I'd like them. So I picked it up, didn't look it up, didn't read the blurb and I just started reading. I have to say , this was a very touching and moving book.

The story follows two families, the Gleesons and the Stanhopes, two beat cops, two neighbours, two families, both with Irish roots, and in some ways mirror images of each other, and in some ways polar opposites. But families are difficult and complex and there are underlying struggles that one cannot even begin to imagine. When tragedy strikes both families they're wrenched apart, and it's Katie and Peter, the two youngest children that feel it the most. Everything changes in an instant, and it's up to them to figure out their way forward, figure their way back to each other.

It's a really compelling read, beautifully written, complex characters and totally engaging. I challenge anyone to read it and this book not touch their soul. At the heart of this book is a love story, and it's beautiful.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book was quite hard to get into at first, it was confusing as it went from one thing to another. I found it hard to read so it took a while to read. It was a good story but just not for me.

My favourite kind of book is a good family saga and this didn’t disappoint. The characters are intriguing and some are very complex. Mary Beth Keane isn’t an author I’m familiar with but I will be looking out for more of her work. The story is centred around Peter and Katie whose families lived next door to each other in Gilliam, New York. Their relationship began as they started school together and progressed into adulthood. Along the way a tragic incident forced their separation for a while until they find each other and the relationship continued. The story occasionally does veer from one time frame to another although it doesn’t detract from the story or make it difficult to follow. I would have liked to have read more detail about the important events in their family life as it occasionally seemed to skip past them. The story covers lots of personality traits in the characters such as mental health issues, violence and alcoholism all cleverly woven into the story. Highly recommend. Thank you netgalley.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I was at a loss on what to read and then I received an email offering me this book to review and I'm so glad I read it.

This story spans many years. It's a love story, a story of life, families, friendship and so much more. It's definitely a lovely read which will give you all the feels. It deals with some difficult subjects, but it does not retract from the readability of this book. I highly recommend this book.

I will definitely look out for more books by this author.

Working in the Bronx and then moving out to the city suburbs…you’d think this was the start of the American dream, but no. Two families are torn apart and then we revisit the families and see how this tragedy has affected them and what has gone on behind the scenes since.
It’s a great family drama and saga with plenty of emotional baggage thrown in. It’s the American dream in book form with all the pitfalls that you hope will never happen. A study of what can happen and how families cope with it.

The characters were rich and well drawn. You were part of those families from the start and felt their hopes and dreams as loud as they did. It’s a slow burn of a novel but one which brings ups and downs as we follow the families and their various members through life. Four decades. What a lot can happen in that time.
There’s a lot of inward looking into issues such as mental health and coping with loss. It was very moving but I felt it wasn’t the right book at the right time for me. It’s too long and I think it would have been more impactful with a shorter tale to tell.

This is quite a powerful and poignant story.

The focus is on two main characters and their families and just how their lives intertwine.

Weaving between past and present, there are many ups and downs and along with them an abundance of emotional trauma.

I think what this book, (one that I probably wouldn't have picked if it wasn't from an invite from Netgalley) cleverly demonstrates is just how easily we can miss certain moments, little pieces of time that might not seem significant at the time but they could in fact impact a person/s future in one way or another.

We all know that life isn't all black and white, what we might not realise is the courage it takes to get through things that we may not be so prepared for.

Mary Beth Keane perfectly demonstrates the dynamics of a not so typical family life and just how life has a strange way of working itself out in the end if the fates allow.

Starting from the year 1973 moving seamlessly to the present day, changing from one character to the next in a way that is not confusing in the slightest.

This novel carefully tells a story of love, loss, friendship and family.

I was moved and compelled to turn the pages in a strange way I wanted to slow down my own reading pace to fully appreciate the tale that was unfolding in front of me.

There isn't anything that I thought could be improved, if anything I guess I'd like to go into more detail with some of the supporting characters as they were all interesting, each with their own stories to tell.

Highly recommended.

I wasn't sure what to make of this book when I first saw it but I gave it a chance and I am so happy that I did. Such a well written and engaging story. Give it a go you won't be disappointed.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'Ask Again, Yes'. It follows two New York families, specifically a child from each family, and how their lives are intertwined. I thought the characters were well formed and I loved the gentle tone of the narrative. It was easy to empathise with all of the characters and I felt that I travelled with them as they aged. This is a book I really enjoyed reading and I definitely recommend it.

The book is well written and the characters well drawn. The inter-relationships between two families is cleverly done. The way the author manages illness, tragedy alcoholism and mental illness I found very believable. I particularly liked the way the author handled the changes in society over the period of the story. It starts in the 1970s with Irish immigrant families and the role of 'the wife' for two NY police officers is clear. It ends some 30 years on when gender roles have changed considerably. The characters were both interesting and intriguing. Their relationship with each other was fascinating. So for me it was an enjoyable book to read with a lot of positives. I did find the book a little slow in places, Interestingly my overall view of the book is better now that I have finished it then it sometimes was when I was reading it!

A story about being content with what you have - a great moral message which delivers through careful description of everyday happenings - apart from a huge event which rocks the family's world. In my view this is an exploration of mental health issues probably developing from post natal depression with traumatic loss. The whole story is built on this issue but explores other family issues carefully and I recommend it without avoiding the families responses to the horror.
It is very American to a British reader. There are many assumptions about the American way of life which can be puzzling. The whole summer experience of American children is different and there are police procedures which are not quite clear but can be picked up along the way.
It is an engrossing read and I recommend it.

Ask Again, Yes is a beautifully written, gripping and compassionate family drama. It spans over four decades and follows the lives of the Gleeson and Stanhope families.

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope meet when they were NYPD rookies and end up by chance living next door to each other in suburban New York. The families don't particularly get on but Francis's daughter,Kate and Brian's son, Peter form a very strong friendship. However once night a tragic event changes everything and the families are torn apart. Kate and Peter's friendship is challenged as they lose touch and then reconnect years later. The events of that night are still impacting on their lives and the pair are faced with some difficult choices and decisions.

This is a story about love, marriage, tragedy, addiction and depression. The challenges of families whose lives have been affected by tragedy. Mary Beth Keane has developed her characters brilliantly in this book. The stories are told from alternative perspectives which gives the reader a good understanding of the characters and their motivation.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the way this was written, there was lots of detail which brought it to life. The setting is New York with a pair of families whose fathers, of Irish origin, are police colleagues, living next door to each other. Their respective children, Kate and Peter, form a strong bond and are obviously meant to be together. However, a horrific accident blows them apart. It was a compelling story and had me gripped from the start. The characters were well-rounded and interesting. Although it was basically the love story of Peter and Kate, it was also about the ties that bind families together. It had strong themes; depression, alcoholism, mental illness, but in the end all comes right.

A gripping thriller of strong love Mental illness and love thy neighbour. Kate and Peter are neighbours both their dads are Police officers in New York guess that is NYPD I'm a Brit I've of those waiting to leave Europe.
So they have known each other all their lives and have had string bonds and week I let you read the rest. Peters Mum and Kate's Dad are from Ireland Kate's Mum is also European and Pete's Dad's is the American. Neighbours but assist from Kate and Peter their parents don't get in that well and then the events of one night that start of innocent enough the two teenageers decide to meet up after everyone else is settled, apart from Kate's Dad who is on a late shift so well it of the way. By the Morning it all changes and life is never the same for any of them. Once the horse had bolted so to speak it's hard to see how any of them will recover and can love survive. Don't worry guys this is no sloppy love story this is a story with bit and of dealing with what life throws at you.
How lasting is the effects of your parents obviously that is strong no matter how hard the resistance and strength to conquer their weaknesses, and puch on past their pain for what is right for you. This is not a story of rebellion fighting against establishment but of honest families dreaming with life with twists that come at them.
I was totally hooked with this thriller it was honest and real informative in the best way possible with plenty of action and passion of spirit rather than actually it best you read it for yourself and you will understand what I mean. It's a great book and we'll worth getting infact I highly recommend you do get it.