I bought this book at a thrift sale a few weeks ago. Picked it up to read several times but this time I read it. What a surprise from a new very talented author. Congratulations on your first book. A young man just out of school inherits his 3 sisters and holds the family together with 2 jobs after the parents can no longer parent. He barely holds the family together through unsurmountable odds.
The story clips right along and keeps you wrapped up in the comings and goings. I highly recommend this book and plan to read more of Tawni O'D.ell

Tragic events place 19 year old Harley Altmyer as head of his family. His mother is jailed for the murder of his father. Rather than have the family split into foster homes, Harley assumes the role of
chief bread winner and head of household raising his 3 younger sisters. His troubles multiply as he struggles with the day to day problems, while emotionally dealing with the why of his mother's incarceration, paying the bills, feeding the family, emotions of his lost late teenage years, and most of all his own sexual development. The characters came alive and it was a page turner as I wanted to be standing by Harley's side giving him help and guidance. Such a monumental task he took on to keep his family together. A tragic page turner. I could not put the book down.

What a beautiful language to describe the anguish and tribulations of a maturing boy left in charge of his younger sisters when their mother does jail time for killing their father.

While he is consumed with worry over his sisters and holds two jobs to pay the bills and feed them with no outside help, he is also a maturing boy preoccupied with sexual thoughts.

I would have given the book five starts, except that the ending was rushed and a bit obscure, if not somewhat lack credibility.

An excellent read!

I'm having a hard time rating this book. It's incredibly dark and morose, but the author does an excellent job taking us into the head of a 19-year-old small town boy who has been dealt an extremely tough hand--taking care of three sisters after his mother has murdered his father. I really felt for Harley, whose family life was so compromised that his attempts to rise above it were doomed from the start. Nevertheless, I had hopes that Harley could somehow survive, perhaps get away and start a new life for himself. His story is heartbreaking and tragic.