Ben grew up in a family shrouded in mystery. His mother would often disappear and be brought back by his father. At age 12, he has not yet met anyone from his mother's side of the family. When Ben is young, his father commits suicide. Several years later, his mother has apparently done so as well. Ben has always known there were some dark secrets in his mother's past, but did his best to ignore that and live a normal life. Now, he needs to know and begins shifting through old letters and other belongings to find answers as to what really happened to his mother, both long ago, and regarding her apparent suicide.

This book is well written, very compelling...I've already ordered another novel by this author. ( )