Sleeping Giants (Paperback)

From the bestselling author of The Child Finder and The Enchanted , a compelling and poignant story of sibling bonds, monsters masquerading as caretakers, terrifying secrets, and the power of love to right even the most egregious wrongs

“Rene Denfeld is a remarkable novelist. In cool, bewitching prose, Sleeping Giants explores how we hurt one another and how we try to heal, and asks what families are made of. The tenacity of the beautifully drawn characters and the glimpses of hope in the darkness make it impossible to look away from this heartrending and enthralling story.”—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny

For most of her life, Amanda Dufresne had no idea she had an older brother named Dennis Owen, or that he had died. Adopted as a baby, she learned about him while looking into her late birth mother, and is curious to know more about this lost sibling. A solitary young woman, Amanda has always felt distanced from the world around her. Her brain works differently, leaving her feeling isolated. By getting to know her birth family, she hopes to understand more about herself.

Retired police officer Larry Palmer is a widower with nothing but time and the need of a purpose. He offers to help Amanda find answers. Their search leads to shocking and unthinkable discoveries. Dennis Owen had been a forgotten foster child abandoned to a home for disturbed boys near the coast. As Amanda and Larry dig deeper into the past, the two stumble upon decades of cruelty and hidden crimes—including a barbaric treatment still in use today.