By Cynthia Hochswender

In the hands of a skilled author, even the details of a humdrum existence can seem exciting. How fortunate for Tara Kelly, a resident of Amenia, that not only is she a talented and witty writer, but her life has also been filled with the highs and lows that make for what editors call “great copy.”

Readers of her new memoir, No Last Words, will sink with a smile into the recounting of her glamorous life in New York City and summers spent on the coast of Maine.

But in counterpoint to this life of apparent ease is a marriage that begins to unravel early on. The dramatic tension in this book is like a cinematic thriller. First you’re drawn into the gilded life with fast cars, horses, beautiful boats. Then, like in a spy thriller, Kelly begins to learn who her husband is, and realizes she has to leave.

It wasn’t until 2012 when Kelly went to Bennington College for its MFA in writing program that she began to put it all down on paper. Guides on her memoir journey include the respected author, Susan Cheever. Published by EastOver Press, copies are available locally at Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook and Oblong in Millerton and Rhinebeck, and at online retailers. Watch her social media at @tarakny950 for signing events.