It hollows it out and wears its face, until a mother can lock her own grandchildren out of the world and believe, right up until she is caught, that she did it for someone.

Chapter 8 — The Firing Squad

Because during our marriage, Samantha and I had tried and tried to have a child, and it had not happened, and my mother had laid the entire failure at my wife’s feet.

It came out as jabs at family dinners.

Passive-aggressive little remarks.

Cruel questions dressed up as a mother’s tender concern — any news yet? no? well.