A Safe Distance

"It’s honest, real, and truly 'goes there' without holding back. I loved it."

WHEN THE WORLD OUTSIDE IS FALLING APART, WHO OR WHAT IS SAFE?

Ellie Barrett and Joanna Fox are neighbors who used to be friends. Now they are neighbors who pretend to be friends. And that's okay with Ellie. With three children, a sick mother and a difficult husband who admires the slim athletic Joanna a little too much, Ellie doesn't have time for neurotic Joanna Fox. A wave and a nod across the cul-de-sac and the occasional car pool is enough for Ellie. She prefers to keep her distance.

Joanna left her successful law practice to create the perfect home for her doctor husband, five children, three cats and two dogs. Joanna knows she sometimes rubs the other mothers the wrong way, including her neighbor, Ellie. But it's not Joanna's fault that her children are successful, her house spotless and her jeans a size six. It's not her fault Ellie's husband would rather spend time with Joanna than with his distracted wife.

Ellie's and Joanna's not-so-peaceful co-existence is threatened when a global pandemic and roiling social unrest trap the two families together. Will the two families rally to protect themselves from the pestilence that threatens their suburban oasis? Or will long-held secrets blow the two families — and their respective marriages — apart?