First published 2023
Fiona McCready and her three sisters have found peace at last. After losing their parents, the girls now live with their guardian Al in a cozy house on Pine Island, British Columbia. Their quiet new life shatters when Mrs. Witherspoon arrives for what she calls a three month visit. Mrs. Witherspoon cared for the girls after their parents died, so they welcome her warmly. Then she brings along Jo, her domineering childhood friend who criticizes everything the family does. Jo tells them what to eat and how to behave. She transforms gentle Mrs. Witherspoon into someone the girls barely recognize. When the visitors announce they plan to stay even longer, Fiona reaches her breaking point. The tiny house can barely fit everyone already. Fiona usually avoids conflict, but she must find a way to reclaim her family's home and protect the new life they have built together.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, reclaiming-home
Setting: Pine Island, British Columbia
288 pages · Hardcover · Margaret Ferguson Books