A smart young woman making her way through the privileged terrain of northeastern prep-school land, Alice McGuire is certain of her world and her future -- until the summer her best friend and soul mate, Matthew Swan, vanishes on a trip to Mexico. Stunned, Alice and the rest of the close-knit town that adored Matthew search for answers. For Alice, the journey of heartbreak leads from everything that is familiar to forbidden places and forgotten people who will teach her about kindness and forgiveness: lessons that will open her to new possibilities and unexpected hope.

Each night before I went to sleep I imagined exactly how his hand felt in mine, the ring he inherited from his grandfather, heavy, inside my palm. And I told him how much I loved him. Whispering in the dark like when we were little and slept over at each other's house, telling secrets until one of us dropped off the edge of the night. ... That's what you do when you love someone: You hold on tight and you don't forget anything.

With sensitivity, and astonishing realism, Molly Moynahan skillfully unfolds a funny and devastating tale of pain and courage, love and transcendence, honesty and memory. Vividly wrought, deeply resonant, and told in a remarkable voice that sparkles with wit and wisdom, Stone Garden is a splendid triumph from an accomplished new writer.