Tiny Americans by Devin Murphy

Three kids try to figure out their world and survive the toxic relationship between their alcoholic parents in upstate New York. Their dad tries to share some knowledge of nature before he gives up and leaves the family for good. Surprisingly, the three siblings grow up to be somewhat normal. One runs off to join the Navy, one goes onto college and into teaching, the last one gets a job, gets married and raises a family. Each of the kids continues to deal with the aftermath of dad leaving them, their mom's inability to cope and the idea of permanence. Terrance, their father, after moving to remote Montana, gets his act together and waits for the day when all the family can be together once more and he can make amends. This had me wondering how much of the novel is based on the author's own life story. Poignant and written with great heart, perhaps we should call this book, "Tiny Broken Americans" broken but nothing that a little family understanding can't glue back together.