The Smell of Other People's Houses

A few years after Alaska becomes a state, four teens will grapple with difficult situations. Ruth is pregnant, and her devout Catholic grandmother with whom she lives takes her to an Abbey to live until she can give birth and give up the child for adoption. Dora leaves her alcoholic and abusive parents to live with her best friend who is Native American. Hank also runs away from an abusive parent and stows away on a boat, and Alyce's father has a fishing business he wants Alyce to be involved in, but her dream is to become a dancer. As their lives intersect, the people they meet and the situations they experience will challenge their beliefs and affect their lives forever. This realistic novel about reckoning with the past while finding a path forward is recommended for all of those who enjoy realistic reads.