“Way’s father viewed the business as a kind of inheritance for his sons, and his mother saw it as a problem for them to solve.”

The Joseph family owns a roofing business - each has their own level of commitment and their own reasons for loyalty. We hear from different members of the family as we learn the origin story and what happens over the decades, including Marley who is new to the family. 

Amy Jo Burns is a great storyteller and writer. It is obvious she has insider knowledge. She tells a family drama story with a mystery at the center. 

I found this book interesting because my husband is in the roofing business. Mostly I liked learning about both the family and the family business. There was a section that was exasperating. But the novel’s ending was meaningful and one of my favorite parts, so I’m glad I persevered. This is a book about family, secrets, love, devotion, wounds, and healing. 

“… what kind of understanding passes between a husband and a wife as they live side by side. At some point, a marriage must become a junkyard of things, unfinished sentences and earring backs scattered across the floor.”

“It was lonely sometimes, being a roofer’s wife.”