AFTER ... Joan's Story. AFTER series, #1

After the devastating loss of her daughter in a car accident, grief consumes Joan Bradshaw. Her home becomes a hollow shell of what it once was as family and friends drift away, leaving her alone in the darkness. Just as she begins to claw her way toward recovery, tragedy strikes again-her middle son, Caleb, commits two murders before taking his own life. Joan's fragile world shatters. Her husband, Joe, refuses to acknowledge Caleb's existence, banning any mention of a funeral.
For him, Caleb is a son who never was. But Joan cannot let go. Haunted by guilt for not seeing her son's pain, she defies Joe's wishes to honor Caleb's memory, igniting a fierce conflict that turns their home into a battleground. Between staying for her remaining family and leaving everything she knows, Joan faces an impossible choice-one Joe's simmering rage ultimately makes for her. Alone and untethered, Joan embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
As she grapples with loss and regret, unexpected connections breathe new life into her. Old wounds begin to heal, including a strained relationship with her mother. Yet, even as she finds a glimmer of hope, Joan remains haunted by the question: could she have done anything to change the course of her family's tragedy?