In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Times
bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that
shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how
the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.
In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a
gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the
town of Broken Branch watches and waits.
Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in
her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two
grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by
helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her
classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the
children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already
struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought
her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little
brother.
As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges
of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to
uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.
