Over, Under, Across & Through (The Real World Series) (Volume 1)

A young widower struggles to overcome substance abuse and emotional instability as his daughter attempts to find solace for them despite overwhelming odds. Set in southern Louisiana, Over, Under, Across & Through tells the story of Tristan and Sarah Maes and their extended family. The novel is divided into three parts. Each part highlights a different time period in their lives during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and explores how the father and daughter and those closest to them confront abuse, neglect, and deception. While Tristan grapples with the loss of his wife and the subsequent battle with alcohol and drugs, Sarah strives to carve out a normal life for herself. This is made more difficult by the onset of juvenile macular degeneration, which results in partial blindness that develops during her teenaged years. Parent and child must come to grips with their actions and choices in the past in order to gain the elusive peace of mind so desperately sought by both in their present.