New York: Dutton, 1995. dj. Hardcover first edition - The author's first novel, set in Indiana in the 60's, this is the story of a family's disintegration as the father descends into madness, the mother tries to escape, and the child focuses on survival in her increasingly bleak and harsh world. Vice's own life - a runaway at 16, an unwed mother on welfare at 18, a summa cum laude graduate of Hunter College at 33 - is an example of overcoming adversity. Review copy with publisher's material laid in, including a sheet in which Vice talks about her life and writing this book. 273 pp. ISBN: 0-552-93863-x.