A Place for Us

March 15, 2013
Brook and Michael Bostock moved to the small town of Barnsbury, Massachusetts, hoping to provide a more stable environment for their children, 11-year-old Tilly and 15-year-old Liam. But the peace of their quiet life is shattered when their babysitter, Phoebe, is sexually assaulted while in their home. The assault happens when Brook and Michael are away for the night, leaving Liam in charge. He is being accused of the crime, although the actual perpetrator is Brandon, a bullying schoolmate Liam wants desperately to please. The resulting scandal rocks the family and the town. After a failed criminal suit, Phoebe's father brings a civil suit against the Bostocks, and the recent passage of the Social Host Liability statute leaves the parents legally responsible for Liam's actions and the tight-knit community divided about who is really to blame. Gyllenhaal's novel is a snapshot of a family and a community in crisis. It is a thought-provoking, all-too-familiar story of young people attempting to navigate the often treacherous road to adulthood and of adults attempting to parent on an equally dangerous path.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)