The Strangers

More about the book

From the bestselling author of The Break comes a staggering intergenerational saga exploring the deep connections that persist even when family members are apart. Cedar has nearly forgotten her family, while Phoenix struggles with the loss of freedom and Elsie fights to maintain hope. As Cedar moves between foster homes and eventually lives with her estranged father, she grapples with the pain of separation from her mother, Elsie, and sister, Phoenix. In a youth detention center, Phoenix gives birth to a baby she will never raise and wrestles with forgiving herself for past harms. Elsie, battling addiction and determined to turn her life around, is motivated by the dream of reuniting with her daughters, striving to be a dependable figure unlike her own mother, Margaret. The family is haunted by the death of Elsie's youngest daughter, Sparrow, whose sudden passing left them reeling. Amid flickering moments of warmth, the women navigate a fractured system that challenges their survival, facing racism and ignorance from those they once trusted. They support one another through darkness, questioning if they will ever find light again. This powerful exploration of race, class, intergenerational trauma, and unbreakable matrilineal bonds invites readers into the complex world of the Stranger family.