Shannon's Hope — Josi S. Kilpack

Shannon's troubled stepdaughter has been missing for two weeks. When Keisha finally calls, Shannon doesn't hesitate to welcome her into her home -- despite her husband, John's, misgivings. As a pharmacist, Shannon has always taken an analytical view of Keisha's addiction problems and feels that treating her underlying depression and providing a support system can break the bonds that have taken over her life. When Keisha first begins breaking the rules, Shannon worries John will kick Keisha out and send her back to her druggie friends. Shannon commits to being even more diligent in helping Keisha. As more of her energy goes toward Keisha, a distance emerges between Shannon, her husband, and their twelve-year-old son, Landon. Shannon finds it easy to justify her own behavior as unconditional love, but as Keisha's stumblings become dramatic falls, Shannon realizes this is no longer just about Keisha. Shannon finds herself facing the reality that addiction comes in many forms. Can she shift her perspective from Keisha's future -- which was never hers to control -- to her own? Can she keep from spiraling into a pattern of obsessive rescuing and find the strength to repair her own fractured relationships before she drives her husband and son away for good?