A Family Divided by Alcoholism

Standing at his ex-wife, Kitty's, grave, Corbin Gage acknowledges that his drinking has disrupted the family and pushed his children away, but he's not ready to give up alcohol. He hoped that his son Rob would join him in his law practice, but Rob has his eye on a job from the biggest law firm in the small Georgia town. His daughter, Roxy, probably the most angry about the way her father's alcoholism pulled the family apart, is an associate in an international law firm in Atlanta. She wants nothing to do with her father.

When Corbin against the advice of his long-time secretary and his children, decides to sue the biggest employer in town, a fertilizer manufacturer, because their dumping of toxic chemicals may have caused several boys to contract non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, both children are drawn into the drama.

This story is a telling picture of alcoholism and the damage it can do to an individual and a family. I thought the author did an excellent job portraying the main character. Corbin Gage is a man desperately in need of help, but not willing to admit the problem in spite of all the evidence.

The male characters in the book seemed more likable than the female characters. Roxy is controlling and overbearing. Her character develops empathy when she meets Peter and falls in love with him. Peter is almost too good to be true. He accepts Roxy and works with her to help her come to terms with her relationship with her father. Likewise, Cindy, Rob's wife, seems quite judgmental. She'd like to keep her son Billy away from his grandfather, but bows to Rob's more humane view of the problem.

This is a good story combining law cases with family drama. It's also a good portrayal of the problems of alcoholism. I highly recommend it.

I reviewed this book for BookLook Bloggers.