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Anna Shekelton had accused her sister-in-law, Sue Riley, of stealing her baby. But that was more than seven years ago, and nobody believed her, even until her death. Now in college and after living under Sue's tyranny and abuse for so long, cousins Jennifer Shekelton and Richard Riley decide to stand up to Sue in the hopes of breaking away from her oppressive behavior. In the meantime, they discover Anna's diary and some old photos, exposing a complicated family history and leading to many questions concerning the identities of Richard's birth parents. As Jennifer and Richard get closer to learning this secret, it also threatens to tear apart what assemblage of a family they have. Meanwhile, Sue refuses to relinquish her power in the family.
This hefty book chronicles Jennifer and Richard's journey into uncovering the true nature of the relationships between the adults in their lives and how a terrible secret can bring about a family's ruin. The novel jumps back and forth between Anna's diary that Jennifer and Richard are transcribing and Jennifer and Richard's daily lives as every new piece of knowledge about their mother empowers them to move forward. The author does a great job of building up the suspense and mystery as to the motive behind Sue's actions as well as building up empathy for Jennifer and Richard. More than a typical family drama, this novel is about two young adults' perseverance for freedom and reclamation of their lives in the face of abuse and mistreatment.