Within Arm's Reach

A deeply moving, multi-generational novel that explores the complex dynamics of an Irish-American Catholic family in suburban New Jersey. The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of six family members—three generations of women and a few of the men connected to them—as they navigate a time of emotional upheaval sparked by an unexpected pregnancy.

The novel begins with the revelation that Lissie, the eldest McLaughlin daughter, is pregnant and unmarried. This news shakes the already fragile family structure, resurfacing old tensions and buried grief.

Gracie, Lissie's younger sister, acts as a central voice—caught between loyalty to her family and a yearning to build a life of her own. Their mother, Catharine, and grandmother, Mary, each carry their own emotional legacies.

As each character reflects on their past and tries to make sense of the present, Napolitano paints an intimate portrait of how people love, hurt, and misunderstand one another—often within the same household. The title, Within Arm’s Reach, speaks to both the closeness and the emotional distance that exists among family members.