Marlow Fin has had a mysterious troublesome life as a model/ actress as she sits down for an interview to talk about her life,

The Baek’s who are Korean-Americans enjoy spending time at their lake side cabin. Isla, their young daughter, finds an abandoned 6 year old girl, Marlow, in the woods covered in mud. When no one claims her, the Baek’s adopt her. Isla and Marlow grow up as sisters. When Marlow is 17, a modeling agency discovers her.

There are many twists and turns on how everyone lives turn out. It was an excellent read.

My only question is the time line of 1980 to 1995 which seemed off?

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*NO SPOILERS HERE.

Wow. This book blew me away. Ellen Von Steil has crafted a tale with so many twists and turns, that you'll never see the end coming. Patrick and Stella Baek are spending the week at their lake cabin, along with their daughter, Isla, and Patrick's mother, known as Moni. A blended Korean-American family, things are pretty much perfect. Except...

Except Patrick and Stella have begun fighting. Moni tries to shield Isla from their fights as best she can. Isla knows that something is very wrong between them, but she doesn't know why they fight so often.

Just as their week at the lake is ending, Isla finds a young black girl alone in the woods near the cabin during a violent storm. Covered in dirt and leaves, the child has no memory of how she got there. She only knows that her name is Marlow. The Baeks take in the young girl, eventually adopting her as their own. But it soon becomes evident that Marlow has a dark side.

At age 17, Marlow is discovered by a modeling agent. She is soon known worldwide as Marlow Fin. Normally very secretive, Marlow decides to grant an interview with one, carefully selected, journalist. The entire world leans in to finally discover....who is Marlow Fin? How did she get to the lake that mysterious night? What evil acts is she actually capable of?

Told in turns by Isla, Marlow's interview, and a stranger who seems fascinated with the Baeks, this book is well-crafted. Steil is an amazing writer. leading the reader on a wild ride with hairpin turns and an ending the reader will never expect. I highly recommend this book!

You would think that a successful and well-known actress would have received more than enough attention in her life - perhaps too much even, given the routine infringement of personal privacy inflicted by the paparazzi. So why is Marlow Fin actually volunteering to share with the media the secrets of her somewhat mysterious and unusual life in a tell-all interview?

There is a widely held view that Marlow is a troubled soul, but hardly is that surprising, given what is known of her life history.

Found abandoned at the age of six by a girl named Isla Baek, Marlow was subsequently adopted by the Baeks, who had no idea of what they were letting themselves in for. She proved to be a profoundly disruptive influence on the family. And despite her beauty and the recognition she has received since, Marlow still seems to be looking for and lacking for something.

Perhaps in this new interview, the public will find out what that is. Or perhaps, like the Baeks, they will hear more than they bargained for...

This is an interesting and insightful story. There are aspects that are touching, and some that are disturbing. The book examines the nature of family, the price of love, what we do for it and the extent that people will go to justify their behaviour. Worth a read.

A really great read. This book evoked a great deal of emotions and was very engaging. I felt as though I was right there with the characters in the story.