"Lyrical, haunting, and utterly gripping."--Redbook "[Metz's] memoir of the year after her husband abruptly died is poignant, powerful, and absolutely riveting." --Chris Bohjalian, author of Midwives and The Double Bind "[Metz] brings refreshing candor to a startling, painful tale."--The New York Times "I read Perfection breathlessly, grateful to its author for these unvarnished truths about her late husband's infidelities. Julie Metz gives us a brave and fascinating postmortem on a seemingly happy marriage, creating an emotional detective story that is unforgettable." --Elinor Lipman, author of My Latest Grievance Julie Metz had seemingly the perfect life--an adoring husband, a happy, spirited daughter, a lovely old house in a quaint suburban town--but it was all a lie. Julie Metz's life changed forever on one ordinary January afternoon when her husband, Henry, collapsed on the kitchen floor and died in her arms. Suddenly, this mother of a six-year-old became the young widow in her bucolic small town. But that was only the beginning. Seven months after Henry's death, just when Julie thought she was emerging from the worst of it, came the rest of it: She discovered that what had appeared to be the reality of her marriage was but a half-truth. Henry had hidden another life from her. Perfection is the story of Metz's journey through chaos and transformation as she creates a different life for herself and for her young daughter. It is the story of rebuilding both a life and an identity after betrayal and widowhood, of rebirth and happiness--if not perfection.