by Sarah Langan
First published 2021
Arlo Wilde trails behind the other fathers on Maple Street. The former rock star carries track marks as souvenirs from his brief fame. His wife Gertie, once a beauty pageant winner, struggles to fit in among the suburban mothers of Long Island. Their daughter Julie swears constantly while son Larry earns the nickname "Robot Boy" from local children. Neighbor Rhea Schroeder teaches at the community college and rules the social pecking order on their block. She draws Gertie into her circle, and the two women bond over evening drinks. Their friendship deepens until they reveal too much about their private lives. When a sinkhole opens in the nearby park, Rhea's daughter Shelly tumbles inside. The rescue effort triggers accusations against the Wilde family that spiral beyond control. Rhea and Gertie find themselves on opposite sides of a neighborhood war. Public opinion turns vicious as mothers choose sides. The conflict threatens to destroy both families as past traumas surface and social masks slip away.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: dark, gritty, intimate, tense, thought-provoking, unsettling
Tropes: escalating-conflict, moral-ambiguity, social-ostracism, unreliable-community
Setting: Maple Street, Long Island, Community College
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
320 pages · Paperback · Atria Books
Content warnings: abuse, addiction, mental-illness