by Bill Clegg
First published 2015
June Reid prepares for her daughter's wedding when an explosion destroys everything. She alone survives the blast that kills her entire family. With nowhere left to turn, June abandons her Connecticut home and drives across America, seeking distance from the devastation. She stops at a remote motel, hoping to disappear from the world. But the tragedy extends beyond June's personal loss. The motel owners struggle with their own burdens. Her daughter's future in-laws face the sudden absence of a wedding that will never happen. The estranged mother of June's deceased friend confronts her own grief and regret. Each person carries the weight of that single catastrophic moment. As June attempts to rebuild from nothing, she discovers that healing requires connection rather than isolation. The survivors must find ways to comfort each other when words fail to capture their pain.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
Setting: America, Connecticut
Period: 21st-century
269 pages · Paperback · Atlas Contact
Content warnings: death