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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Violence including a shooting, physical abuse by foster parents, and self-harm
Language
Some
Strong language in the gritty foster care settings
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual abuse and exploitation of the teenage protagonist in some households
Substance Use
Some
Drug and alcohol use in foster environments
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Harrowing psychological portrait of narcissistic abuse, trauma, and the long search for selfhood
What this book is about
When Astrid Magnussen's beautiful, domineering mother Ingrid poisons her lover and is sent to prison, Astrid enters the foster care system — moving through a series of damaged households that both wound and transform her. Janet Fitch's lyrical debut is a portrait of a young woman finding her own identity in the shadow of a narcissistic, brilliant, and dangerous mother.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sexual abuse of a minor
Physical abuse in foster care
Self-harm
Narcissistic emotional abuse
Reader Verification
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