To My Dearest Friends — Patricia Volk

What happens when you find out something you wish you didn't know? From the critically acclaimed author of Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family ("Taut, sharp . . . Vibrantly textured" --The New York Times Book Review; "Unnervingly delightful" --The Miami Herald ), here is a smart, generous novel about two New York City women, the bonds of friendship, and the power--and responsibility--of secrets.

Alice, the proprietor of a chic Madison Avenue resale shop, and Nanny, a Carnegie Hill real-estate broker, have never met before, but they have one thing in common: their best friend Roberta, who has just died of cancer. Roberta has trusted them with her last request--that together they open her safe-deposit box. What they discover inside compels two very different women to join forces on a journey neither really wants to take.

Wryly observed, and rich with the atmosphere of New York City--from the Gotham salad at Bergdorf's to the "Classic 6" apartment with OPW views (Other People's Windows)--To My Dearest Friends is a serious book that happens to be funny: a novel of real feeling and real life, about how what we hide from those we love can take us places we never imagined we'd go.