"Something New" takes readers from Amanda and Nicky Weinstock's engagement to their first anniversary. Her engagement ring bruises her finger; it must be an omen. At an upscale bridal boutique she feels like Cinderella; at a humbler shop she's the ugley stepsister. While studying to be a bride she unexpectedly fails Maid of Honor 101.

Upon her engagement she learns that her mother has Alzheimer's and a bittersweet new question emerges for Amanda as she plans the big day: "How can I become a wife when the one wife I've always known is disappearing in front of me?"

When the newlyweds move from city to country, and go from the bustle of planning a wedding to the solitude of a life, new vistas emerge. The division of chores brings up gender issues, Nicky's frequent trips leave Amanda surprisingly lonley, and friends now seem to come mysteriously in pairs. She also finds a certain peace as she observes her father tending to her mother with tenderness patiences and love, causing her own ideas of what it is to be married to deepend and grow. Hers is a beautiful story -- affecting, whimsical, and inspiring.