Publication Date: October 20, 2026
For fans of Marianne Cronin and Clare Pooley, a warm, witty, page-turning tale of belonging, identity, and girl drama at every age centered on three generations of suburban Chicago women.
Mona is living the dream . . . until, at thirty-eight, her busy stay-at-home-mom life is upended. Her grandmother moves into assisted living, her teenager, Grace, doesn’t need her anymore, her charity work kicks her to the curb, and none of her friends are showing up for her.
Suddenly, Mona has no purpose—unless you count stress-eating. But she seems to be the only one struggling. Shy Grace—ignoring her mother’s dreams for her to join the “it kids” in drama club—is off finding her voice (and a new band) at Bubby’s retirement home and making friends. Even Bubby’s too busy fending off resident mean girls and finding romance to pay Mona much mind. Then, on top of it all, Mona’s twenty-year high school reunion goes viral for all the wrong reasons, leaving her convinced she’s wasted her life. But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the truth: The only person who can make you feel small is you—and sometimes you have to lose everything you thought defined you to find what truly matters.
Heartfelt, funny, and refreshingly honest, Drama Drama Drama is a celebration of second acts, self-worth, and learning to skip the drama and live your own life.
Three generations of women navigate change—both positive and negative—in a heartfelt story about families and priorities.
Author Gerilyn Bass Greenberg offers three distinct perspectives in Drama Drama Drama. While teen Grace struggles socially as a freshman, she channels her focus in an unexpected direction.
Mona captures most of the spotlight as Grace’s mother and Esther’s granddaughter. Esther struggles with the idea of moving into an assisted living facility, which adds to Mona’s stress.
At the beginning of the story, Mona oozes confidence. That changes drastically as she loses her sense of purpose and allows others at her class reunion to ridicule her choice to be a stay-at-home mother.
All three characters have some sort of drama happening in their lives, but how they respond is significantly different.
Drama Drama Drama delivers moments of self-doubt for all three characters, offering insight into how they found resilience to move forward.
Gerilyn Bass Greenberg graduated Magna Cum Laude with highest distinction from the University of Illinois, but nothing could have prepared her for the rewards and challenges of being a stay-at-home mom. She and her husband raised three daughters, now grown. When she’s not traveling or playing racket sports, Gerilyn is chasing after Sammy, her spirited Wheaten Terrier, and dreaming up new stories. She lives in suburban Chicago with her husband.
