Having suffered abuse and misfortune for much of her life, a young child searches for a better life and finally gets a break in the home of a loving woman with several foster children.

Maverick Falconer is just starting middle school and he wishes he were a hero like his father because maybe then he could deal with his mother's drinking and series of abusive boyfriends, not to mention the kids who bully him in middle school (pretty much the same ones who bullied him in elementary school)--but as the year passes he begins to realize that other kids have problems too, and maybe if they can all survive sixth-grade things will get better....

Abandoned by the alcoholic father who idealized the natural world without imparting any survival skills to his children, three siblings in 1970s New York embark on difficult adult lives before their father attempts a reconciliation.

Aces is the story of a young man who fights against the battering of his mother by his drunken father. The situation escalates until Ace desperately stabs his father to death, and is sent to jail for a period of 15 years. Nine years later he is out on parole. He kills again within a day's time of his release.

Georgia can almost feel her heart cracking a little more every day. With Daddy sinking deeper into alcoholism and Mama struggling to keep the family afloat, Georgia is sent to stay with her mysterious great aunt in her old country house. Soon, lonely Georgia meets Angela, a girl with secrets of her own, and they discover a magical lake. At first, the lake offers a thrilling escape, but as things grow worse at home, a troubled boy appears at the lake...

Political fervor hits the South Side in season 9, as the Gallaghers take justice into their own hands. While Frank sees financial opportunity in giving voice to the underrepresented working man, Fiona tries to build on her real estate success and takes an expensive gamble, Debbie fights for equal pay and Ian faces the consequences of his crimes as the Gay Jesus movement takes a destructive turn.

This book is an introduction into the workings of Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous. As people come together to find help and support in dealing with the effects of alcoholism, they often find help and solace in the experiences shared by other member. They come together for many different reasons, and return looking for one reason: hope of a better life. How Al-Anon Works for Families & Friends of Alcoholics opens wide the door to a remarkable fellowship...

Frank comes out of a drug-induced haze and decides it's finally time to be a contributing member of society. Fiona faces hard decisions when she discovers her success as a landlord may mean someone else's misfortune. Lip struggles with staying sober, while Ian takes up a cause in hopes of getting back with Trevor. Debbie builds her future at welding school while juggling life as a single working mom, as Carl gets creative finding tuition money after...