Central Kansas Library System

Tory Bodeen grew up in a small, rundown house where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt. But she had Hope, whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child. But after young Hope's brutal murder, Tory's life began to fall apart. Now, as she returns to the tiny town of Progress, South Carolina, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of that terrible...

Brutally raped and murdered by a deceptively mild-mannered neighbor, Susie begins with a compelling description of her death. During the next ten years, she watches over her family and friends as they struggle to cope with her murder. She observes their disintegrating lives with compassion and occasionally attempts, sometimes successfully, to communicate her love to them. Although the lives of all who knew her well are shaped by her tragic death,...