This page-turner of a book knocked me off my seat with the ending. As we are intertwined in the currently sad, messed up life of Mary, we also catch glimpses of her traumatic past through interviews, magazine articles, book chapters, etc. that tell us the crime she is accused of - allegedly. We are taken into the sad situations of "baby jail" and group homes - which I am sure can be as described in this book, but I sure hope not. The author does a stand up job developing a character that pulls at your heart and your mind. I fell in love with Mary and was rooting for things to finally go her way. And then the ending happened! I had to read it twice to make sure I read it right - completely unexpected! Excellent debut novel by Ms. Jackson. I will definitely read her next book.