What happens when family secrets span generations? When loyalty and survival become entangled with trauma?

In Part 1 of our deep dive into Paper Roses by Debby Show, we're introduced to 13-year-old Abigail in 1970s San Jose as her world spirals into chaos—all before breakfast. From her brilliant but troubled younger sister to a mother medicated into numbness and a father whose absence is deafening, this opening section sets the stage for a haunting exploration of inherited dysfunction.

ABOUT THE BOOK
When Abigail Jones learns of her sister Nikki’s third arrest, she’s pulled into a spiral of questions: Was it fate, family, or something buried even deeper? As Abigail begins to piece together the past, she uncovers a trail of silence and survival that stretches across continents and generations.

From a 1940s Moroccan household where a young maid bears witness to the origins of a generational wound, to the sun-washed suburbs of 1970s California, and finally to 2023—told through podcast transcripts, court documents, and splintered memory—Paper Roses follows Abigail’s search for answers, her confrontation with the sister she thought she knew, and her reckoning with a legacy neither of them could escape.

A haunting story of loyalty, silence, and the cost of breaking free, Paper Roses is perfect for readers of The Vanishing Half, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Paper Palace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Debby Show is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and School Psychologist based in California. With years of experience working with individuals and families, she brings a deep understanding of human behavior, relationships, and generational dynamics to her fiction.
Though Paper Roses is her debut novel, Debby has honed her craft through coaching, writing workshops, and a lifelong passion for storytelling. Inspired by real history and intimate truths, her work explores how the past shapes who we become.

She also happens to be the sister of a rather infamous public figure—a detail that has made family gatherings interesting, to say the least. While this is a work of fiction, it draws inspiration from real-life experiences. That said, the spotlight in this story belongs to the generations of women whose legacies are woven across time.

ABOUT THE SIDE QUEST BOOK CLUB PODCAST
Reading is the ultimate side quest. Side Quest is a casual book club podcast full of literary adventures. Join Slava and Jonathan as they discuss the books they are reading, life, history, belief systems, and more. Explore world-building, characters, and story development, and share some laughs along the way.

New episodes drop every TUES.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION
This is a video version of our audio podcast. Want to listen on the go?
Find *Side Quest Book Club* on your favorite podcast app.

🎧 **Subscribe on Any Platform https://linktr.ee/asidequest

JOIN THE GUILD
🌐 Official Website / Quest Log:
https://www.thesidequestpodcast.com/

💬 Follow Our Adventures on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesidequestpodcast
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@sidequestpodcast

CREDITS
Hosts: Slava and Jonathan
Podcast Hosting & Distribution by Transistor.fm https://transistor.fm/how-to-start-a-podcast/?via=slava
Intro/Outro Music: HoliznaCC0v
Editing by: CharacterNorth6081
Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/u/CharacterNorth6081/s/k3mFE9aGqh
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/parasss.__