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From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Woman in Red" comes an intimate story of friendship lost and regained, old loves rekindled, and a baptism by fire that ultimately leads to the redemption of three very special women.

It begins with a betrayal that tears apart childhood friends, Abigail and Lila, when Abigail's mother, the housekeeper for Lila's wealthy family, is summarily banished, casting Abigail from the only home she has ever known. Now, twenty-five years later, Abigail is a self-made successful cookbook author and TV personality. When Lila, who married well and for decades lived the glittering life of a Park Avenue socialite, suffers a tragic reversal of fortune, she seeks out the help of her childhood friend. Penniless and all but unemployable, Lila approaches Abigail about a job, and Abigail gives her one: as her housekeeper.

But revenge is not as sweet as Abigail had imagined. Lila's reentry into Abigail's life brings along some unexpected complications and questions: Will Abigail be reunited with her girlhood love, Lila's twin brother, Vaughn? Will Concepcion, the grief-stricken mother whose daughter perished in the fire that consumed Abigail's factory, succeed in tracking Abigail down and confronting her about her daughter's death? Will Lila ever find love in the wake of her husband's suicide?

In this sweeping emotional tale, Abigail, Lila, and Concepcion are thrown together and forced to unite in order to save one another...and themselves.

2. Abigail is like many women, in the sense that she feels she has to do it all. How do you juggle work and family? What are the challenges and how have you met them?

3. Domestic Affairs is about the power of secrets to affect our lives. Have you ever harbored a secret that changed the course of your life? How might it have been different had you revealed the secret?

4. Lila loses everything in one fell swoop: her husband, home, and the security she's known. Have you ever been "down and out"? If so, how did you handle it?

5. The grieving Mexican mother, Concepción, crosses the border into this country illegally. Did you come away with a deeper understanding of this social issue in reading the book? What are your feelings about illegal immigrants in this country?

6. The two teenagers in the book enter into an unthinkable pact. Where do you draw the line with teenage children? How much privacy should they be allowed and when is it time to step in when you suspect they're hiding something?

7. Abigail and Vaughn reconnect after a period of many years and the spark they generated as teenagers is reignited. Do you ever wonder what would happen if an old love reentered your life? Has that ever happened?

8. Lila rejects the advances of her suitor Karim at first. After losing her husband, she's not sure she can take the risk of having something like that happen to her again. What would make you fall in love again after such a tragic loss? What would a man (or woman) have to do to prove worthy of taking that risk?

9. Ultimately, Domestic Affairs is about redemption. In this case, two women find redemption after initially seeking revenge. Do you know anyone for whom this has been the case? Would you be able to forgive someone who betrayed you or cost you the life of a loved one?

• January 2010 Indie Next List
• December 2009 Indie Next List
• November 2009 Indie Next List