First published 2024
Rudy Cohen's death fractures his family. His widow Frieda retreats to Miami, where she drowns her grief in alcohol and attempts to escape memories that refuse to fade. Their daughter Nancy marries young to a traveling salesman whose work involves questionable activities. Shelly, the younger sister, flees to California and dives into the booming tech world of the 1970s. Each woman believes distance will heal their wounds, but geography cannot solve their problems. Frieda's drinking worsens as she struggles with loss and regret. Nancy discovers her husband's secrets threaten their marriage. Shelly finds success in technology but remains emotionally adrift. Over four decades, the three women navigate careers, relationships, and motherhood while grappling with family trauma that passes between generations. They must eventually confront whether they can rebuild their fractured bonds and create the family they truly want.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: California, Miami
Period: 1970s
240 pages · Kindle Edition · Ecco
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse, mental-illness