“It’s hard enough being a teenager, clashing with your mother and annoyed by your little sister, without having your dad gone. Fifteen-year-old Alice Bliss, who learned about life in general and gardening in particular from her father, Matt, was so bereft when his guard unit deployed to Iraq that for weeks she wore one of his shirts for its lingering scent of him. Assuring his wife, Angie, that he’d come home, Matt still prepared for all contingencies, including leaving letters to Alice for future milestones in her life, and he left a solid support system that started with Angie’s mother and her brother, Eddie. But while Gram could cook and comfort, and Uncle Eddie could fix the washer and teach Alice to drive, no one could help when two soldiers came to the Bliss’ door. This is a remarkably sensitive first novel, full of splendid characterizations, about a family left behind when a man goes off to war and a teenager is left trying to cope with her own feelings while covering for her emotionally reeling mother. It’s a heartbreaker—have tissues at hand—with promise shining through the pain.” –Booklist (starred)
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