First published 2010
Mary Beth Latham has spent years building her world around her three teenage children and husband. She maintains their daily routines and watches over each family member with careful attention. When one of her sons slips into depression, Mary Beth turns her focus toward helping him recover. She believes her vigilance and love can protect her family from harm. Then violence strikes without warning, shattering everything she has worked to preserve. Mary Beth must find ways to survive a tragedy she never imagined facing. She discovers strength she didn't know she possessed as she navigates grief and searches for reasons to continue. The novel follows her journey through loss toward an uncertain future, exploring how a mother's determination can endure even when everything familiar disappears.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, grief, tragedy
299 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness