Towards the end of this fine debut, one of the characters says: “I think mamas are mostly always trying their best. It just looks different depending on the cards they are dealt and the hurt they are holding.” The cards dealt to the characters in Rachel Stark’s novel are largely free of aces. Here, mamas suffer hardship, assault (including sexual assault), tragedy, prejudice, bullying and more. But an indefatigable spirit thrums within them, which, ultimately, makes for an uplifting, rather than a gloom-ridden, fatalistic, read. It’s 1999 in Perris, a city in California. Twenty-seven-year-old Tessa is expecting her third child. She’s in a loving relationship with Henry, although, due to financial pressures, they live in a trailer on a property owned by Henry’s mother, Angie. Angie has other, grown up children of her own, although one them, Nathan, still lives with her. Nathan suffered a head trauma when he was young and, consequently, has the mental capacity of a six-year-old. The narrative dips back and forth in time to fill in Tessa’s backstory as she grows up with a stepfather and stepbrother from hell. But, we learn, Tessa also experienced the first flush of love when she was at school with Mel, a girl who came to her aid one day. The pair’s relationship seems doomed when Mel’s mother gets wind of it. In 1999, however, Mel is back in town and Tessa is faced with some choices. This deeply humane and moving novel captivates from first page to last. RM

Published by New River