A bighearted novel, Mahjong at Mara’s illustrates the road to understanding by the patchwork of people who make up suburban America. After losing the love of her life on 9/11, Lila and her teenage son Dante find solace in unlikely companions— a group of Mahjong-playing octogenarians: Thea, struggling with Alzheimer’s, her sweet husband, Joseph; Mali, a lonely Holocaust survivor; recently widowed Frank; and the persnickety, divorced Gladys. All their lives take surprising turns that raise questions about the concepts of family, loyalty, and love.