"Radiant...startling and delicate." --The Boston Globe
On the hot Texas army base she calls home, Katie spends the lazy days of
her summer waiting: waiting to grow up; waiting for Dickie Mack to fall
in love with her; waiting for her breasts to blossom; waiting for the
beatings to stop. Since their mother died, Katie and her older sister,
Diane, have struggled to understand their increasingly distant, often
violent father. While Diane escapes into the arms of her boyfriend,
Katie hides in her room or escapes to her best friend's house--until
Katie's admiration for her strong-willed sister leads her on an
adventure that transforms her life.
Written with an unerring ability to capture the sadness of growth, the
pain of change, the nearly visible vibrations that connect people, this
beautiful novel by the bestselling author of Open House reminds us how
wonderful--and wounding--a deeper understanding of life can be.
"Elizabeth Berg writes with humor and a big heart about resilience,
loneliness, love, and hope. And the transcendence that redeems." --Andre
Dubus
"This quietly told tale will find a place in your soul, and will stay
there." --Christopher Tilghman