The Break

After a traumatic delivery, Rowan O’Sullivan is understandably protective of her new baby. PTSD and postpartum anxiety have erased most memories of the event, but she can’t shake the feeling that something else is missing as well. When Rowan imagines that her part-time nanny, June, has done something to harm the baby, all attempts to keep herself together fail, and she hurls incensed accusations at the young woman. Shortly after the incident, June disappears, leaving Rowan to wonder if her missing memories are hiding her own unspeakable acts. Sise (Open House) presents an intricately plotted and endlessly suspenseful story that will keep readers guessing. Narrators Samara Naeymi and Sarah Naughton are opposite but inseparable sides to this compelling coin. Rowan’s fractured, frenzied thoughts contrast disturbingly with June’s upbeat innocence, and both narrators perfectly portray the emotions of their parallel narratives.