Songs Without Words by Ann Packer

Liz and Sarabeth, now in their 40's, have been friends since childhood. They became very close after Sarabeth's mother committed suicide when they were sixteen and Sarabeth moved in with Liz's family. Liz lives near San Francisco with her husband, Brody, and two children, Lauren and Joe. Sarabeth never married and works staging people's houses for sale and designing lampshades. Then Lauren has some deep personal problems, sending Liz's and Sarabeth's friendship into rocky waters, forcing them to question the nature and meaning of their bond. The novel explores how Liz, Sarabeth, Brody, and Lauren are affected by Lauren's actions (through their respective points of view). Songs Without Words reminded me of the writing of Jodi Picoult and Dani Shapiro, although more leisurely-paced and literary.