Vivid, lyrical prose further enriches the novel’s appeal. These questions, and an indelible sense of mystery, propel the story forward despite its sometimes languid pacing and sense of incipient tragedy. It’s in that context that Rory’s daughter, Charlie, investigates the events that have shaped her family, including what happened to her mother that summer in California.

In the second timeline, which takes place in Wyoming two decades later, at least two of the main characters have made it out alive, but an undeniable sense of loss still hangs over them. That duality is part of what makes this novel so absorbing, even as tragedies accumulate to an almost overwhelming extent. The negative consequences of Gus’ actions reverberate far and wide, yet he’s one of the most sympathetic characters in the book. Unfortunately, Gus is also an alcoholic who ends up failing himself and those he loves. Their bond and much of the novel’s action revolve around the world of ranching. Rory’s loving but deeply flawed stepfather, Gus, cares for Rory and takes her under his wing, bringing her with him everywhere and teaching her about horses. (All her mother will tell her is “Your father wasn’t anything.”) She develops intense, complicated relationships with both June and Vivian. Rory is the talented and hardworking daughter of a barmaid and an unknown father. All three girls are grappling with their sexuality, and all three have difficult, neglectful parental relationships. Rory, June and Vivian occupy radically different socioeconomic worlds, but emotionally, their lives are similar.

The coming-of-age storyline unfolds over the summer and fall of 1993, when wildfires ravaged the Southern California landscape. The novel alternates between two different periods, settings and perspectives, offering insights into how one generation’s actions shape the next.

On another level, it’s a meditative, multigenerational saga about love, loss, the inheritance of trauma and decades-long secrets. On one level, Kate Milliken’s dark and beautifully written debut is the story of three young women whose lives become inextricably entangled one summer.

Kept animals kate milliken