Elise Sanders doesn't have an easy life. Growing up in a small town in Alaska with an alcoholic mother and a series of abusive step-dads, Elise only has her friends and her older sister, Crystal, a kind of misfit family. But when Crystal gets pregnant and the cycle of poverty begins anew, can Elise save her family from itself? Or are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past? In Lizzy Sutphin's gut-wrenching chronicle of a childhood rife with poverty, neglect, and abuse, the smart and resourceful Elise struggles to overcome the hurdles life has thrown in front of her and to help a family that may be beyond saving. But even Elise may not be strong enough to break the cycle. About the Author Lizzy Sutphin grew up in small-town Alaska. She lived her first ten years on a goat farm in Seward then moved to Moose Pass, both south of Anchorage, before moving back to Seward to finish high school. Lizzy then attended Humboldt State University in Northern California, majoring in International Studies with an emphasis on China and spending a year abroad in Chengdu. She currently lives in Seward working at Moose Pass School, with hopes to return to school to earn her teaching certificate. She loves being back in Alaska and couldn't imagine calling anywhere else home.