Hand Me Down

A recipient of the Alva Englund fellowship and the Maurice Prize for fiction, Melanie Thorne penned this tender debut brimming with evocative prose. At 14, Elizabeth Reid is searching for a place she and her sister Jaime can call home. Neglected by a father with more vices than work ethic and ignored by a mother bent on starting a new life with an ex-con, Liz bounces between distant relatives in California and Utah. But before Liz can find peace, she must come to terms with the ugly deal she struck to ensure Jaime's safety-one that has a hold on them both.