Love Object

Book excerpt: It's no secret that Sylvia is a little crazy. People have thought so ever since she first arrived in Apple Ford as a teenager. But outside her own family, no one knows the depth of her mental illness. For her daughter, Mercy, Sylvia's illness is at once a source of agony and fascination. As Sylvia's stability weakens, Mercy has other issues to contend with: a father growing more and more distant; a brother who has taken an interest in cross-dressing; and questions about her own sexual identity. In search of answers, Mercy turns to her grandmother, Vi. But despite her attempts to offer a steady guiding hand, Vi hides a dark secret of her own.