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.