Wavemaker II: A Novel

Mary-Beth Hughes

Dec 2007 · Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

About this ebook

In this New York Times Notable novel, a New Jersey mother struggles as her husband goes to jail to protect Roy Cohn: "This is a beautiful book."— Booklist (starred review)

"It's the summer of 1964, and the once-privileged Clemens family is in tatters. Husband Will is serving time at Woeburne penitentiary for refusing to testify against Roy Cohn, who acted as Sen. Joseph McCarthy's counsel. Genteel wife Kay shuttles between their oceanfront home and son Bo's bedside at New York Hospital, where he is being treated for cancer. Stretched thin, Kay can only focus on one tragedy at a time, so the needs and confusion of preadolescent daughter Lou-Lou go unnoticed. Told in shifting points of view, this first novel offers rich, nuanced characterizations ripe for book club discussion. Dozens of memorable scenes showcase Hughes's eye for penetrating detail...Highly recommended."— Library Journal

"Reads like an epic: part prison story, hospital-ward drama, family tragedy, and historical flight of fancy." — Los Angeles Times

"A skillfully charted plot about the complex nature of loyalty."— The New York Times Book Review

"Hughes's portrait of a weary, shell-shocked family is pitch-perfect."— Time Out New York

Ratings and reviews

Wavemaker II

About the author

Mary-Beth Hughes has published short stories in Ploughshares and The Georgia Review. Formerly a modern dancer, she has a B.A. from Marymount Manhattan College and has completed residences at the Yaddo and Bennington College writing seminars. Wavemaker II is her first novel.