I gave this book 5 stars in Goodreads and my spreadsheet, but really, for Ruta Sepetys it is a 4.5. It is as good as I have come to expect from her, but for some reason her adult debut didn't ring as true for me as her YA has. It's was still a perfectly researched, fascinating work of historical fiction, but it didn't hit as hard.
The setting is the city of my birth - Detroit, Michigan - while it was in the process of becoming the Motor City. In 1927, the auto industry was nascent and new money shenanigans were all the rage. The Lennox family makes glass that provide those handy windshields, but they are tacky as hell. The oldest daughter is a social climber who is married to a glorified criminal. The next is the only son who has a facial injury, a chip on his shoulder and a fake job writing obituaries for the newspaper that is investigating his family. The third is a daughter who is actually writing the obituaries her brother is taking credit for because she is fascinated by death but is a girl so is supposed to be delicate. Marjorie is the youngest who says what she means and means what she says so is obviously considered insane by pretty much everyone.
Marjorie is the sibling we follow the most and when she runs away to join an art collective, things get really interesting really quickly. There is some romance, some mystery and a lot of family drama. Everything is resolved satisfactorily, and I enjoyed it. Even though it is not my favorite Sepetys, it's still a lot better than most. And look at that gorgeous cover!
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