This was a good story although the writing felt choppy at times. I was completely lost in the EMT jargon but that's just me. The same thing happens while watching hospital shows/movies too and unless I have the background music indicating perilous doom, I have no clue what all the codes they're yelling to each other mean.Right out of the gate, I found the plot depressing and each time I thought there might be hope for things to change, the characters would fall right back into old patterns. I realize this is the norm for those who suffer with addiction but with a work of fiction, one can still hope for a different outcome. Webster and Sheila's relationship is obviously a toxic one, both being dependent on something - she on alcohol and he on his need to "fix" her. There are glimpses of a what could develop into a real and lasting relationship but they allow their humanness to get in the way too many times. When their daughter Rowan comes along life hits the fast track for awhile and then goes downhill. Webster, is a good guy doing the best he can but seems to lack the ability to put himself and his best interest first when necessary. It's only after Rowan is born and her life is placed in jeopardy (one too many times) that he steps up to the plate. Sheila is brash and has an attitude of self preservation as a result of her brokenness and while she longs for a safe life with Webster, she's also restless. She's selfish and tends to make choices based on what's best for her and her alone. (A few she made while pregnant make for difficult reading.) When we first meet Rowan she is a 17yr old Senior in High School who has been a "good kid" up until recently. We find out later in the book what's been going on to cause her current rebelling but I felt like there still could been more to her part of this story. The book flashes back over the past 18 years and finally comes to the present day where the family is reunited under awkward circumstances.I did feel like the ending left me hanging. I wanted/needed one more chapter or an epilogue that fast forwarded 10 more years or something. I wasn't looking for Webster and Sheila to get back together and live happily ever after on the land he'd dreamed of living on but we could've seen Rowan, grown, graduated college and living happily with her own family on that land. That would've been a nice ending.
