She's Not Home: A Novel

Summary

In She's Not Home, a mother and daughter find that a goodbye may be what reunites them in a poignant story of family ties, shared grief, and the love between mother and child.

Sheryl already lost one daughter by being the fun parent. She's determined to do it right with her other daughter, no matter how much Mariana whines about one chance for a normal night. No misbehavior, no stoner friends, and absolutely no parties. As if missing homecoming amounts to tragedy. Sheryl knows real tragedy—and she's not about to make the same mistake twice.

But all Mariana wants is to escape the shadow of her sister Sheena. She's tired of being seen as the daughter that survived and missing out on experiences she shouldn't have to fight for—like senior homecoming.

So when Mariana discovers the truth about how Sheena died, she runs away. For the first time, Mariana is faced with the reality of making her own choices, while Sheryl is left to contend with losing another daughter.

Told with lyrical prose and unerring honesty, She's Not Home is a heartfelt exploration of the power of family to destroy, but also to heal.