Sweet Judy Blue Eyes is born in a Woodstock tent to free-spirited, “blissfully stoned” hippies Kirk and Cassie in Emmons’s second novel (after Prayers and Lies). Cassie has a hard time adjusting to the constraints of motherhood and family, refusing to give up free love and drugs, and alternates between ignoring and lavishing controlling love on her confused daughter. She wants to take Judy to live on a commune, but Kirk wrestles sole custody, leading Cassie to run away. She dodges a bullet by narrowly missing out on a trip to Jonestown, and continues her spiraling search for self. Attempts at connecting with her daughter only show how unstable and selfish, if well-intentioned, she is. Meanwhile, as a teenager, Judy is forging her own awkward way in the world (boyfriend, drugs, unwanted pregnancy) and struggles to find a measure of forgiveness for her mother. Emmons has a keen grasp of the difficulties of mother-daughter dynamics, and the specific struggles of young parents who are still figuring themselves out. She also paints the shifting turmoil of mid-’60s to early-’80s America with complexity, creating a vivid, expansive background for an intimate story. -- Publishers Weekly

Emmons makes a strong debut with the story of Bethany Wylie, whose coming-of-age is rocked by revelations that could up-end her family. Bethany cherishes summers spent in West Virginia's Coal River Valley with her cousin Reana Mae, who is closer to her than her real sisters. Her childhood is innocent, despite the alcoholism, violence, and secrets swirling just out of her grasp, but as she grows up, she becomes more attuned to the cracks in her family's idyllic facade. Reana Mae, meanwhile, grows up faster than Bethany could imagine, and the dark secrets of their family's past, once revealed, could rip them apart. Emmons has a rich voice that pairs well with the earthy setting, and she handles Bethany's education with an easy hand. -- Publishers Weekly