First published 2015
Gully Fisher's twin sons approach their 45th birthdays as opposite forces in their family. Michael serves as the steady foundation, unshakeable and reliable, while Fish acts as the rebel who does what others won't dare. Michael's wife Ursula works with broken families by day but struggles to connect with her quiet husband and children at home. Katie remains captivated by Fish's stories of Vietnam and prison as she considers leaving with her new boyfriend and job. The elder Fishers mark fifty years of marriage, balancing buried resentments against stubborn devotion. Everything shifts when Rebecca, the nine-year-old daughter of Katie and Fish, arrives unexpectedly from Texas where Katie's mother has been raising her. Her presence triggers a summer of small storms that shake each family member. By autumn, hidden truths emerge and the Fishers discover they're stronger for the revelations. This family loves imperfectly but completely, bound by habit and mutual incomprehension of the outside world.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, relationships, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Texas, Vietnam
Period: 45th Birthdays, 50 Years of Marriage
407 pages · Kindle Edition · The Permanent Press