July Weaver has been living in Nashville as Jules Thomas, a country western singer/songwriter. She hasn’t been back to the small town in Georgia where she grew up since she ran from there nine years ago, but a call from her brother about another brother’s suicide attempt brings her back.
July (all her siblings are named for the months they were born) left her home after her father, Harry, was convicted as the Pacific Lake Killer, a serial killer whose victims included one of his twin daughters, May. July’s family was shattered by May’s death, Harry’s conviction, and their mother’s ongoing struggles with mental illness. July is a recovering alcoholic, Deck is an addict, Auggie gave up a possible football career to stay at home and take care of the remaining twin, April, and their mother. Mark is the only sibling who seems “normal”, with a career on Wall Street. Deck’s suicide attempt brings everyone together to save Deck, but this brings to light old conflicts and ongoing hostilities both in the family and with other town residents.
The book switches back and forth from “then” to “now”, slowly building a picture of what happened “then” and what is happening “now”. July comes to realize there is more to the story than she originally thought nine years ago.
While I thought this book was a little slow at times, I did feel compelled to go back and finish it after I switched to other books to find out what happened and have the on-going questions resolved!
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Meredith Dahlrose
