The Heartwood - Paperback

by T. R. Mathers (Author)

Bee, self-absorbed and misguided, abandons her children for the next man. Her son Henry struggles to care for his 7 year old brother while attempting to earn his high school diploma. These early experiences twist the family dynamics, perpetuating toxicity into the next generation.

These are not isolated incidents: Family dysfunction, alcoholism, neglect, abuse, and even ambivalence leave children feeling alone, unloved, and displaced. Others like Mack, Ian, and Mia try to find safety and self-worth in a life of perpetual chaos. Sadly their stories have become all too common. Children, cornered and desperate, search for normal, search for safety, search for home. Here are some of their stories.

Mathers uses a series of vignettes to explore systemic dysfunction, broken families, and doubtful futures, asking "Who helps the broken- the displaced?". "Is there help?"

Readers of The Glass Castle and The House on Mango Street will love this heartrending novel of loss and hope.