Set in remote 1970 Alaska, when indigenous communities still mourned losses that came with statehood in 1959, The Smell of Other People's Houses explores relationships that bind, falter, recover and flourish.
First-time novelist Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock introduces the distinct voices of four teenagers who, over four seasons, undergo drastic changes: Ruth, raised by her stern grandmother, poignantly realizes how "houses with moms in them... tend to smell better"; Dora has the bad luck of winning the lottery, which brings her unwanted attention from her unstable parents; Alyce is worried that her dedication to ballet means alienating her fisherman father; and Stan is determined to protect his two younger brothers after the loss of their parents--one forever gone, the other made neglectful from desperate loneliness.
Resonating details--soap-making nuns, Goodwill boots, orca whales--create an intimate narrative about a troubled community in which too many young people have seen too much. What lingers beyond Hitchcock's evocative words are the titular "smells"... of cedar, fish, disinfectant, blueberry pie and even "the smell of too much love." A fourth-generation Alaskan and former public radio journalist, Hitchcock crafts an exquisite, gut-punching story of fractured love and surprising redemption. --Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon