Set This House in Order

Andy Gage was born in 1965 and, not long after, his stepfather tortured and abused him until his soul died. His body survived. The soul broke into pieces, and each piece became a separate soul with a claim on Andy's life.

Now Andy handles the world outside, while more than a hundred other souls share an imagined house inside his head and try to keep the peace. Aaron is the father figure, Adam a mischievous teenager, Jake a frightened little boy, Aunt Sam the artist and Seferis the defender. Gideon wants Andy and the rest gone so he can run things alone.

Penny Driver, Andy's new coworker, is also a multiple personality, though she is only partly aware of it. Several of her other souls ask Andy for help. He reluctantly agrees, and that choice sets off events that threaten the stability of the house.

The novel follows Andy and Penny as they work together on a shared problem: a terrible secret Andy has kept from himself. Its premise rests on childhood abuse and dissociation, so the subject matter is heavy, and the inner household of distinct voices drives the story.