The Things We Cannot Change: A Story about the Ghosts Created by Addiction

From the award-winning author of The Lost Girl: A Neverland Story comes a story about grief, addiction, family, and making peace with ghosts.

When Callie's dad died, she was sad.

When he came back, she was furious.

Nearly a year has passed since Callie's father lost his battle with alcoholism. If you ask her, everything is fine (thank you very much). She's almost done with her first year of college, and she's nearly succeeded in locking away the painful memories of her father and their life together. Never mind the recurring nightmares haunting her every night since his death.

Or the sudden appearance of his ghost.

Now face-to-face with the source of her nightmares & guilt, Callie is forced to confront whatever unresolved issues might be keeping the ghost of her father tied here, before it's too late for either of them to find peace. As she searches for truth within the murky waters of memory and faces life after losing a loved one to addiction, Callie discovers that closure isn't always about finding clear answers.

Sometimes, the things we cannot change are the things that change us the most.

Before I began reading this book, I thought I knew who to root for. Our heroine, of course, up against an obvious bad guy. Friends, I was wrong. As in real life, I found myself rooting for everyone, frustrated with everyone, and astounded by the complex resiliency of families for whom addiction has been a wrecking ball. Allison Spooner has given her characters--and readers--a tremendous gift: The dignity of being human. Don't miss it."

-- Sarah Arthur, bestselling author of Once a Queen: A Novel