Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. An infinite number of daily decisions.

That's how one of our guests today describes parenting, you know, decisions, decisions,

and you know, decisions have consequences, ripple effects, that you can't ever really know

how they'll play out in the long run. But on today's pod, we've got two thrillers that deal

with both sides of the parenting coin. In a bit, we'll hear from William Landay, who wrote the

hit novel Defending Jacob. He's got a new one out about a family, a murder, and the kids asking

themselves, how well do we really know dad? But first, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with author Hila Bloom

about her book, How to Love Your Daughter, which is a mystery,

but the mystery to be solved isn't something grisly and bloody.

Instead, the main character is trying to figure out a more quotidian,

but maybe more heartbreaking question.

Why can't I make it work with my kid?

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sources and methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

The opening paragraph of the new novel, How to Love Your Daughter, is enough to break your heart.

Here is the author, Heela Bloom, reading those four sentences.

The first time I saw my granddaughters, I was standing across the street, didn't dare go any

closer. The windows in the suburban neighborhoods of Honegan hang large and low, I was embarrassed by how

effortlessly I'd gotten what I'd come for, frightened by how easily they could be gobbled up by my gaze.

But I, too, was exposed. The slightest turn of their heads, and they would have seen me.

They would have seen me. Well, Helo Bloom joins me now from Israel. Welcome.

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