Chasing Sophea

"People don't usually name tornadoes, but that year, Daddy insisted. "Any twister that beautiful and that dangerous can only be female. Reminds me of a woman I used to know named Sophea." He laughed. "Sophea, Sophea." Dahlia's life should be perfect. She's a successful businesswoman with a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter. But Dahlia senses that something isn't quite right. More and more often, she has the feeling of being lost in her own body, completely mystified by the simplest things, like traffic lights and car horns. These spells strike at anytime, anywhere. And though aware that she's off balance, Dahlia has no idea what could be the cause. As Dahlia's grasp on reality loosens, the signs lead to a traumatic event from her childhood that has made its way into her adult life. There is someone else lurking in the back of Dahlia's mind-and she wants out. Now she must revisit the painful past, and the memories of a mother who had her own mental demons. The only problem is: Dahlia might have to lose herself entirely if she wants to discover the secrets of that long-ago day when Sophea came to town."--Publisher's website. Dahlia Chang finds her successful career and wonderful family life undermined by long-buried family secrets that threaten her very sanity as a traumatic event from her childhood erupts into her adult life. Reader's Guide included.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.