I'll Be Right Here A Novel

An epic and powerfully intimate novel about an unconventional and irresistible family—from the New York Times bestselling author of In Love, White Houses, and Away

Immigrating alone from Paris to New York after the crucible of World War II, Gazala Benamar, still a teenager, becomes fast friends with two spirited sisters, Anne and Alma. When Gazala’s lost, beloved brother, Samir, finally joins her in Manhattan, this contentious, inseparable foursome, will last into the twenty-first century, becoming the beating heart of a multigenerational found family.

These decades are marked by the business of everyday life and the inevitable surprises of erupting passions, great and small waves of joy and despair, from the beginning of life, to its end. Gazala and Samir make a home together, Alma loses a baby, Anne leaves her husband for his sister, and Anne’s restless daughter grows up to raise a child on her own and join a throuple, becoming who she wanted to be. Through it all, and the history of the these decades, the four friends, and their best beloveds, stand by one another, protecting, annoying and celebrating each other, steadfastly unapologetic about their authentic desires and the unorthodox family they have created. As the next generation falls in and out of love, experiencing life's triumphs, mistakes and disappointments, the central pillars of their lives are the indomitable, hilarious people they call “the Greats”.

In I’ll Be Right Here, Amy Bloom embraces the complexity and richness of humanity, the lawlessness of love, bringing her trademark voice, wry humor, and compassionate eye to the many, often mysterious ways we evolve as we love—and as we hope to be loved in return.

Amy Bloom is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels: White Houses, Lucky Us, Away, and Love Invents Us; and three collections of short stories: Where the God of Love Hangs Out, Come to Me (finalist for the National Book Award), and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award). Her most recent book is the widely acclaimed memoir In Love. She has written for magazines such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Elle, and The Atlantic, and her work has been translated into fifteen languages. She is the director of the Shapiro Center at Wesleyan University.