Description

Sara Zarr, author of the National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl, returns with an intimate, exquisitely crafted novel of the courage it takes to see those we love for who they are.

Kyle Baker thought his family was happy. Happy enough, anyway. That’s why, when Kyle learns that his mother has been having an affair and his father has been living with the secret, his reality is altered.

He quits baseball, ghosts his girlfriend, and generally checks out of life as he’s known it. With his older sisters out of the house and friends who don’t get it, the only person he can talk to is his cousin Emily—who is always there on the other end of his texts but still has her own life, hours away.

Kyle’s parents want him to keep the secret of his mother’s affair from the rest of the family until after what might be their last big summer reunion. As Kyle watches the effects of his parents’ choices ripple out over friends, family, and strangers, and he feels the walls of his relationships closing in, he has to decide what his obligations are to everyone he cares for—including himself.

Coming of Age Story: Kyle thought he knew his family. This is the story of what happens when the perfect picture shatters and he has to grow up fast. Teenage Boy's Perspective: He quits the team, ghosts his girlfriend, and retreats into himself—an authentic look at a teen boy navigating a crisis he never asked for. Powerful Cousin Bond: With his sisters away and friends who don't understand, his cousin Emily is the one person he can trust with the wreckage of his family. An Emotional Family Drama: Forced to pretend everything is normal at one last summer reunion, Kyle must confront the fallout of his parents’ choices and decide where his own loyalties lie.