First published 1999
Ellen Grier moves with her husband James and their two young children to Vinegar Hill, the decaying Wisconsin farm where James grew up. His father Fritz rules the household with an iron fist while his mother Mary retreats into silent compliance. Ellen watches her marriage crumble as James falls back into old patterns of submission and drinking. She struggles to protect her children from Fritz's violent temper and inappropriate behavior. The farm becomes a prison where Ellen must choose between keeping her family together and saving herself and her children from a toxic environment. Winter deepens around the isolated farmhouse as Ellen faces the hardest decision of her life. This is a story about the courage it takes to break free from family cycles of abuse and the price women pay for their independence.
Genres: domestic-fiction, american-fiction, abuse, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Vinegar Hill, Wisconsin
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · Avon Books (P)
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, emotional-abuse