BACK FOR TOMORROW

Past decisions continue to haunt a family in Posey’s (Under the Lone Star Sky, 2016, etc.) latest series installment.

In 1975, Amanda Patterson, a privileged college student, participates in a drunken orgy and wakes up with a corpse of a young man named Wilson Izack in her back seat. She makes a fateful decision (“I can’t be in trouble again”) and hides the body, hoping to leave the horrible situation behind her. Predictably, Amanda’s life is shaped by this death, and despite later personal and professional success, she can’t quite shake the memory. Meanwhile, Amanda’s cousin Laura Wynn is also haunted by the memory of Wilson—but in a much more tangible way, as her one-night stand with him resulted in a pregnancy. She decides to put her baby up for adoption, and then heads to New York City to launch a music career. It turns out, however, that neither woman can truly break her connection to the past. Amanda and Laura’s lives take center stage in Posey’s novel, but many other members of the sprawling Campbell family also make appearances, including matriarch Skye, Amanda’s grandmother, who appeared in previous series installments. Her children and grandchildren are scattered throughout the United States, but their connections endure. Although Posey includes a short summary of Skye’s descendants, a more visual family tree would have been helpful to keep track of the large cast of characters. References to President Jimmy Carter and MTV are helpful touchstones that gracefully ground the narrative in particular eras. However, Posey tackles so many family issues that she’s unable to resolve them all in an emotionally satisfying manner. Amanda’s brother Dave, for instance, has a drug problem, but it’s quickly and neatly fixed with a stint in rehab. A more nuanced approach to minor players’ travails might have packed a greater punch.

A sometimes-engaging but crowded drama in which some characters get short shrift.