A Theory of Relativity

“[An] astonishing pleasure.”

—Seattle Times

“A graceful, moving, and compelling novel. Jacquelyn Mitchard at her finest.”

—Scott Turow, author of Innocent

Jacquelyn Mitchard's first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, launched the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. Now, with A Theory of Relativity, she delivers yet another gripping story steeped in the peril and redemptive powers of family love.

Gordon McKenna -- at age 24 -- thinks he's already heard the worst news of his life when he learns that his only sister Georgia is fatally ill. Then Georgia and her husband die in a car accident, leaving behind their baby daughter, Keefer. Gordon and his parents are able to survive their sorrow only by devoting themselves heart and soul to the care of the beloved one-year-old.

But the decision of who will raise Keefer, and how, is far from over. Gordon's most basic assumptions about the security and identity of his family will be challenged in ways so provocative that the McKennas will be driven first to disbelief and then to outrage. Their ordeal will test the limits of love within a closely knit family again and again, challenging even love's ultimate capacity to heal.