The Houses We Lived In
After their mother dies of an overdose, ten‑year‑old Malcolm and his two younger sisters, Tiana and Maya, are shunted from a brief refuge with their grandparents to the home of a father who never wanted them. Richard Steven, a white man consumed by silent resentment, treats the three Black children as a financial burden. His wife, Susan, initially cold, begins to shower Tiana with unsettling attention—gifts, private talks, and visions of a “special future.” Malcolm alone notices the pattern, but he has no proof of what Susan is planning: to sell Tiana as a child bride to a wealthy family when she turns sixteen.
Over the years, Malcolm becomes the siblings’ fierce protector, hiding his emotions behind a wall of quiet vigilance. Tiana, bright and beautiful, struggles with grief and the confusing warmth of a stepmother whose love feels like a trap. Maya, the youngest, clings to memories of their mother and the fleeting safety of Brenda—the only adult who truly cares. As Susan’s grooming deepens and Malcolm’s suspicions grow, the three children must rely on each other to survive a house where kindness is a mask and the greatest danger wears a smile.
The Houses We Lived In is a haunting literary thriller about family, betrayal, and the unbreakable bond between siblings fighting to stay together before one of them is taken forever.
