The day that Cedar Sage Stranger has been both dreading and longing for has finally come: her sister Phoenix is getting out of prison. M, the young girl whom she assaulted, is triggered by the news. M’s mother, Paulina, is worried and her cousin Jake is angry—all feel the threat of Phoenix’s release. Cedar and her mother, Elsie, continue down different paths of healing. When Phoenix is seen lingering outside the school to catch a glimpse of her son, Sparrow, the police get a call to file a report—but the next thing they know, she disappears. Amid accusations and plots for revenge, past grievances become a poor guide in a moment of danger, and the short-sighted armature of law enforcement is no match for the community. Told from various perspectives, the novel masterfully parallels a Restorative Justice Circle where all gather to take account of a crime that has altered the course of their lives.