Leigh and Pete have been married for just five years. Their families have blended nicely. Leigh has twin sons and a daughter. Pete has one daughter and a son. Together they are a family of seven. It hasn't always been easy, Pete's son, Kip, has gotten into some trouble in the past, but it feels like they have turned a corner. He just got into Duke and seems to
be thriving. Leigh and Pete returned home early from an anniversary getaway when they get word that Kip and Chrissy, Leigh's daughter,
were in a car accident. Kip had been drinking.
Before the next day is over Chrissy is dead and Kip is being charged with manslaughter. Leigh, a divorce lawyer, is
being faced with the destruction of her family and her life. And then Kip tells them
that it was Chrissy driving. Chrissy is the one who swerved off the road and hit the tree. But nobody, including Leigh, believes him. The state wants Kip to pay for what happened and Leigh just wants her baby girl back. As the court date draws near, Leigh needs to decide which side of the courtroom she wants to be sitting on, the defense or the prosecution.
I
read House on Fire with two different
sets of eyes.
That as a child from a blended family and that as a step-mom with step-children that I love dearly. I loved
the way that the step-siblings interacted and tried to take care of each other. Chrissy was looking out for Kip when she went to get him from the party. She didn't want Kip to get into trouble with their parents. But I also struggled with the way Leigh shut out Pete and Kip after the accident. I would like to think
that I would embrace Kip more, but who is to say how a person would truly react in a situation like that. She wouldn't even entertain the thought
that Kip was telling the truth about Chrissy driving that night. It was both maddening and heartbreaking. Things rushed to a conclusion that was just okay. I was hoping for a little more, but it wasn't bad.
Overall it was worth the read.
Bottom Line - Being a step-mom is never easy. Being a step-mom to a young man accused of killing your daughter is nearly impossible.
House on Fire explores this notion in a book that will break your heart and make you think about the "what-ifs" at the same time.
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