For Sarah Laden things can’t seem to get any worse. She has recently lost her husband to cancer, her young son is having problems with school work and her older son is becoming a rebellious teenager.
Thankfully Sarah has her catering business and her good friend, Courtney Kendrick, to rely on for some normalcy in life.
One day all will be shaken in her life though when she has to take Courtney’s son, Jordan, to the hospital after he has attempted suicide. From this point in the narrative the reader is taken on a compelling yet harrowing tale of child abuse.
Told in alternating chapters with viewpoints from Jordan, Sarah and her two sons, the reader glimpses into what each one must deal with as they learn of Jordan’s abuse. There is denial, shock and much anger and sadness.
I thought this was a very effective way of showing just how the chilling events were affecting everyone involved. For example, there is Sarah who is truly confused as to how she could have misjudged someone so much. She can’t believe that the same woman who offered her comfort when she most needed it is now in jail for something so despicable.
Kittle explores how abuse not only affects one person but how it can shake the foundation of a whole community. And just as real life is complicated and messy, Kittle depicts an ordinary family struggling with everything from grief to newfound love. An absorbing read.
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