The Kindness of Strangers
Sarah Laden, a young mother and widow, finds herself caring for her best friend's son after a shocking revelation rocks the town. Sarah must come to grips with what she thought she knew about her friend, as well as what this boy and her own family need from her and how they might be able to recover--together.
This is one of the more difficult books I've ever read--it's on par with A Little Life, both in subject matter and difficulty, though the story is very different. It is quite well done, though trigger warnings abound. This one is (mercifully) more hopeful and redemptive than A Little Life, and it will stay with you forever.
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Publisher’s description:
A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.
Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah’s son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan’s foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.