by Tawni O'Dell
First published 2012
Harley Altmyer turns eighteen with plans to find work and build a future. His father dies and his mother goes to prison for killing him. Now Harley must raise three younger sisters alone. He works two jobs that barely pay the bills. The court assigns him a therapist. He worries constantly about money and whether he can keep his family together. A woman who lives nearby begins an affair with him. The relationship feels like his escape from the grinding responsibility of caring for his sisters. Harley believes this woman might solve his problems. Instead, she brings complications he never expected. The choices he makes will determine whether his makeshift family survives or falls apart completely.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Back Roads
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Transworld Digital
Content warnings: depression