First published 2014
Serena and Dan Shine move through their days like strangers after losing her father and his brother. When Serena's desperate actions force them out of New York City, they land in Waring, North Carolina, with their two young children. Dan takes the only job he can find while Serena discovers the town's small Jewish congregation. Their eccentric rabbi's behavior grows more unpredictable, putting the entire community at risk. Meanwhile, a watchful neighbor draws Dan and their son into the local Boy Scouts, though his motives remain unclear. The Bible Belt setting intensifies every choice as the family navigates questions of faith and belonging. Serena fights to hold onto her identity while Dan struggles to provide stability. Their marriage strains under the weight of unprocessed loss and the pressure to fit into a place that feels foreign. The story follows their separate journeys toward understanding what home really means when everything familiar has been stripped away.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New York City, Waring, North Carolina
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Catapult
Content warnings: mental-illness