Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Family Fang, a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability.
Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they've barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.
Madison's twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there's a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it's the truth.
Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other — and stay cool — while also staying out of the way of Madison's buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her — urgently and fiercely. Couldn't this be the start of the amazing life she'd always hoped for?
With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet — a most unusual story of parental love.
Review
"Laugh out loud funny. I love the way Kevin Wilson writes." Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award winner
Review
"Wilson captures the wrenching emotions of caring for children in this exceptional, and exceptionally hilarious, novel." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Wilson's deliciously breezy style reels you in and holds you tight." Denver Post
Review
"Breathtakingly wonderful." Miami Herald
About the Author
Kevin Wilson is the author of the novels The Family Fang, a New York Times bestseller adapted into an acclaimed film starring Nicole Kidman, and Perfect Little World; as well as the story collections Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, and Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife and two sons.