Mole and Tilly lost their parents in an accident when they were babies and have been raised by their Aunt Hy in a small town near Lake Pillow. Their parents' death has always been something of a mystery to the girls. The summer Mole is 11 and Tilly is 12, the Rouens rent "the dead house" down the road; soon, they and their four children invade the previously exclusive haunts of Tilly and Mole. As the summer progresses, it becomes clear that the Rouens' marriage is in crisis. Meanwhile, Tilly begins to exhibit all the signs and symptoms of puberty, to the consternation and confusion of her younger sister. Solid becomes liquid, what is known becomes uncertain?even the stories the girls have made up about their parents' death?and both Mole and Tilly must grapple with a new reality. Vivid description and detail make these characters come alive; Pillow Lake becomes real, and the heat of the summer shimmers throughout the story. Beautifully written and told, this first novel by the author of the acclaimed Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World

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