Hand Me Down

A tough, tender, debut novel, in the tradition of Dorothy Allison and Janet Fitch,
Hand Me Down is the unforgettable story of a girl who has never been loved best of all.

Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Reid has spent her life protecting her sister,
Jaime, from their parents' cruel mistakes. Their father, who'd rather work
the system than a job, pours every dollar into his many vices, denying his
daughters the shoes and clothing they need. Their mother, once a loving
parent, is going through a post-post-adolescent rebellious streak and finds
love with a dangerous ex-con. When she chooses starting a new family over
raising her first-born girls, Elizabeth and Jaime are separated and forced to
rely on the begrudging kindness of increasingly distant relatives.

A string of broken promises that begins with Liz's mother swearing, "I
would never hurt you, Liz. You're family," propels her between guest beds in
two states searching for a safe home. All the while, Liz is burdened by her
stake in a bleak pact with a deceitful adult: to tell the truth about the darkest
of her circumstances will cost her the ability to shelter Jaime. As Liz spirals
into the abyss of fear and shame that haunts her sleepless nights, can she
break free from her bonds in time to fight for her life?

Thorne writes with a command of language that is at once affecting and
enticing. Her debut is the kind of voice-driven reading experience fiction
lovers crave.