A bright, hopeful and powerful novel. This book was written in an easily accessible way that was quick to read and absorb. I wish there was more backstory on Alice, and I wanted the book to go a little deeper into everything. It feels like it skimmed the surface with most of the relationships, and I also wanted to know more about Denise. But still, an enjoyable novel with clear messages of hope and love.

Susan Butterweiser’s debut begins with Alice, a British woman, who arrives in America, alone, in 1942, aged sixteen, before taking up the story of her granddaughter, Marnie, living out of her car and running drugs with her boyfriend in the 1990s.
Alice’s son grows into one of those boys who are perpetually in trouble, a violent drunk, none of which changes when he becomes a father after a one-night stand. Alice takes in Marnie’s mother after a particularly severe beating, devoting herself to raising her granddaughter who she adores and who adores her. Her grandmother’s death is a hammer blow to Marnie who loses her way, seemingly following in her father’s footsteps.
Butterweiser’s novel tells Alice and Marnie’s stories through several timelines beginning in 1940, flitting back and forth, a style which felt uncomfortably disjointed to begin with. The narrative settles down into a series of vivid yearly episodes unfolding Marnie’s life and the difficulties posed by her chaotic parents. Alice and Marnie are both engaging characters, the bond between them touchingly depicted. Alice does her best to provide Marnie with the security a young child needs, conscious of her own struggles as a lone parent. I enjoyed Butterwieser’s novel, unjudgmental in its portrayal of parental dysfunction while quietly underlining the importance of family and stability.