In the shadowed heart of Pennsylvania's backwoods, Harley Altmyer's dreams are shackled by a reality far removed from the carefree existence of a typical teenager. At nineteen, Harley's life is a balancing act of sorrow and responsibility; he's trapped playing the roles of both parents to his three younger sisters after their mother's incarceration for the unfathomable crime of killing their father. This makeshift family teeters on the brink of collapse, navigating through a world devoid of opportunity and laughter, their bond strained by unspoken resentments and the heavy chains of dependence. Harley's tumultuous world is further complicated by his agonizing desire for Callie Mercer, a woman whose melancholy beauty becomes his obsession. The simplicity of adolescent yearnings, once satisfied by fantasies from Victoria’s Secret catalogs, now demands more, propelling Harley down a path fraught with forbidden desires and dangerous secrets. As the fabric of his family unravels, revealing lies and truths that burn with intensity, Harley's awkward tenderness and misguided heroics might just be the key to salvaging what remains. "Back Roads" is a poignant exploration of the complexities of family, the bitter sweetness of adolescence, and the transformative power of truth, delivered with Tawni O'Dell's unflinching honesty and captivating prose.