Never good enough. Whether it’s her grades, a tennis tournament or her choice of career, everything Madeline Cutler does falls short of her domineering father’s expectations. She can’t even grant her dying mother’s final request. Getting herself as far away from her hometown as possible is the only way Madeline can begin to build a life on her own terms.

When Madeline’s father dies suddenly, it falls to his oldest daughter to clean out the house that’s been in the Cutler family for three generations. But her childhood home is still the last place Madeline wants to be. Her most crushing memories wait to ambush her in every room, and she wants to be rid of the house once and for all.

Then the shoebox Madeline’s mother asked her to retrieve turns up in an unexpected place, and its contents reveal a shattering truth. What she learns forces Madeline to make heartbreaking decisions that could destroy her family. In the process, she comes to understand that our families form the foundation we build our lives on, whether we like it or not.