Bitterroot

De: Suzy Vitello

Narrado por: Cindy Kay

A forensic artist confronts a crime against her own family, while MAGA politics, racism, and violence rage in a small town in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho.

Set in the fictional town of Steeplejack, nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains, Hazel Mackenzie provides law enforcement with sketch art and victim reconstruction following suspected crimes. Hazel is catapulted from observer to participant when her husband dies in an accident and then soon after, her gay twin brother Kento is shot by a member of Steeplejack's growing anti-LGBTQ community during a gender reveal party for his child.

Hazel soon discovers her husband wasn't who she thought he was. She uncovers hidden family secrets about her grandparents' forced internment during World War II, mirroring the same racism and prejudice that threaten to strip Kento and his husband of their basic rights to their baby. As physical violence charges up her driveway and engulfs her life, Hazel battles for herself, her brother, and a town torn apart by hate. And somehow during all this, she stumbles on a different kind of love and a more courageous way to live her life.

©2024 Suzy Vitello (P)2024 Tantor

Binge listened!

I quickly got sucked into this story and along for the ride as the upheaval in Steeplejack unfolded. Continued plot twists and character reveals were exciting and kept me invested.

I applaud Cindy Kay’s performance that brought this novel to life.

a stunning novel

An unforgettable story, beautifully written. Courageous twins coming to understand their inherited trauma while supporting one another in the face of intergenerational racism.