When her older sister runs away to elope, Alice Winston is left to bear the brunt of her family's troubles - a depressed, bed-ridden mother, a reticent, overworked father, and a rundown horse ranch. Faced with the hottest summer in fifteen years and a pile of bills, the Winstons are forced to board the pampered horses of rich neighbors, and Alice must confront the power and security that class and wealth provide. As the summer unfolds, her family and their well-being become intertwined with the lives of their clients Alice begins a dangerous friendship. Drawn into an adult world of secrets, hard truths, and even harder consequences, Alice experiences her first kiss, her first beer, and her first infatuation. But when the rain comes and brings the summer to an end, Alice's choices lead to a devastating betrayal and a shocking, violent series of events that will forever change her family's world.

Author Biography

Aryn Kyle graduated from the University of Montana writing program. Her work has been featured in The Georgia Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, Best American Voices 2005, and Ploughshares. Born in Illinois, Kyle spent most of her childhood in Grand Junction, Colorado, and now lives in Missoula, Montana.