No Good Asking

A profoundly moving exploration of our capacity to heal one another.

Ellie and Eric Nyland have moved with their two sons back to Eric’s childhood farmhouse, hoping for a fresh start. But there’s no denying it, their family is falling apart, each one of them isolated by private sorrows, stresses, and missed signals. With every passing day, Ellie’s hopes are buried deeper in the harsh winter snows.

When Eric finds Hannah Finch, the girl across the road, wandering alone in the bitter cold, his rusty police instincts kick in, and he soon discovers there are bad things happening in the girl’s house. With nowhere else to send her, the Nylands reluctantly agree to let Hannah stay with them until she can find a new home after the Christmas holidays. But Hannah proves to be more balm than burden, and the Nylands discover that the only thing harder than taking Hannah in may be letting her go.

“Flawed, human, and fully realized, the cast of characters Fran Kimmel brings to life in No Good Asking will pique your interest, charm, and frustrate you before capturing your heart. This is a book that demonstrates, at a time when we all need it, that sometimes the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.” — Joan Crate, author of Black Apple

“The humanity in Fran Kimmel’s No Good Asking is as big as the hearts of her arresting characters. In genuine, unaffected prose, this story builds from the first page to its satiating finale. An achingly good story.” — Lee Kvern, author of 7 Ways to Sunday