"Mercer's prose is lucid and her themes of redemption and reinvention are resonant." - Kirkus Reviews

"Characters are intricately woven, unique, and relatable." - The BookLife Prize

A family saga set in a coastal tourist town...
One sister chained by family tradition.
The second stunted by her sister's shadow.
The youngest propelled by desperation.

Gwen is the oldest of four children in the Aaldenberg family, and the one who seems to have it all. She's also most desperate to escape. Betta, having nursed their dying grandpa for the past three years, is anxious for Gwen to go, so she can have reins to the family business. And Esmerelda, viciously determined to follow in Gwen's footsteps, vies for popularity as a freshman in high school, only to learn she must sell her soul, reputation, and most prized possession for acceptance.

As their father struggles with retirement and their mother with depression, Gwen discovers the debt her grandfather's passing left them in during a time of year when their coastal town, dependent on tourists, can barely sustain itself. Gwen and their father agree Betta can't take over the store under such stressful circumstances, not when she's been carrying so much for so long.

When Gwen's boyfriend moves to town, Gwen does her best to resign herself to a local life, while Betta struggles for meaning without the store. In order to carve out a place for herself, Betta must decide to what lengths she'll go in order to be become her own person, and Gwen must decide what's more important: her sister or her future.

Can this family pull through their disappointment, jealousy, and regret? Or will they cling so tightly to their desires that it ruins them?

• We started tracking this book on April 5, 2018.
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• Literature & FictionGenre FictionFamily LifeSiblings

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 362 Pages
• File Size: 834 KB