The Burning Side

A Novel

From the author of The Bright Years comes the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

When April and Leos house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to Aprils childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath grief, guilt, logistics and memories scorched and intact the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leos marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shap