Snow In July by Heather Barbieri
Paperback, Soho Press, 258 pages. Available online at Amazon.com.

Sometimes, good old fashioned fiction with tortured and complicated characters is the best kind. Such is the case with Snow In July by Heather Barbieri, a fractured tale of family dysfunction.

Erin is our main protagonist, a recent high school graduate who is trying to decide what to do with her life: go off to college, or make a solid attempt at doing what she loves, making jewelry. What she does know is that she longs to leave her Butte, Montana hometown for something bigger and better. But family obligations to her sister and widowed mother leave her feet firmly planted where they are.

Big sister Meghan has a habit of flitting in and out of their lives, coming back for help and then leaving again in between drug binges. Normally, Erin would be tempted to leave Meghan on her own; after all, she's bailed her big sister out of trouble one too many times. But there are a few problems: her mother's favoritism towards Meghan, which is often the driving force of the family, and the fact that Meghan has two small children who are often put in serious danger while their mother seeks out her next fix. Thus, as Meghan seemingly makes an attempt to get her life back on track, Erin plays the solid and dependable aunt to Meghan's two children, Teeny and Si-Si. But the question soon becomes: Will Erin be able to gain her independence, or will she always be strapped to the older sister - and to the family that just won't, or can't, let her go?

Barbieri has crafted a masterpiece in Snow In July. {quotes}Even from the first few introductory pages, I couldn't put it down.{/quotes} Love them or hate them, the characters draw you in until you just can't help yourself: you just have to know what's next.

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