Sisters Geneva and Holland are constantly living in the shadow of their deceased siblings, who died before they were born. Everyone they meet has a story about the siblings, and the girls can't seem to grow up in their own way without everyone comparing them to their deceased older siblings. Annie is a painter who comes to their home to help them paint a mural in the kitchen. Geneva and Holland find a freedom in her company, and she encourages them to express themselves and begin to heal.

This is an interesting exploration of grief. How do you grieve for family members who died before you were born? How do you move on with your life when everything around you reminds you of them, but you have no actual memories of them? The girls find it difficult to deal with their parents' grief, and they are curious about the past because people compare them to their older siblings.

The youngest, Geneva, has developed severe anxiety and OCD, and Holland feels that she has to be the perfect daughter and take care of her younger sister. As they begin to heal and find their own way, Geneva finds more courage and confidence, and Holland feels like she has the freedom to be imperfect and express her anger. I really loved their character development.

There isn't much to the plot though. They just kind of wander around town and meet people and go to school and have dinner. There is a mystery surrounding Annie. Nobody seems to know who she is or where she comes from. But it's pretty obvious from the beginning that she is... well, spoilers. But it's obvious. No plot twists there.

The writing is thoughtful and well-developed, but I found myself skimming the descriptive paragraphs. It is a good story and well-written, but I think this is just not my type of book, so it didn't really grab my attention.