This follows directly on from Before the Storm one year later but does stand perfectly well alone – only you’ll get more from it if you have previously read the first. It is small-town America and deals with big issues in the aftermath of a tragedy within the community and how folk find it difficult to forgive. Very much Jodi Picoult or Anita Shreve territory.
‘Essential reading for Jodi Picoult fans’ Daily Mail A past that won’t stay buried… What if you did something so devastating, you regretted it for the rest of your life? Nineteen-year-old Maggie Lockwood spent a year in prison for her part in a fire that cost three lives. The scars carried by the surviving victims – inside and out – are still raw and Maggie’s release from jail does nothing to free her from the guilt. Returning home, Maggie hides herself away, too afraid to see Keith, the boy she grew up with, played with as a child – and recently learnt is her half-brother. Keith nearly lost his life in the fire and the emotional and physical wounds he carries have changed him forever. With childhood innocence gone, Maggie and Keith must learn to come to terms with their new lives, but trying to move forward will have deadly consequences…
