The Great Offshore Grounds by Vanessa Veselka

 

Thirty some years ago, two women got pregnant by the same man who then disappeared.  They made a pact that both would carry their babies to term but one would leave afterwards, giving her baby to the other to raise along with her sister.  Those babies, both girls, are Cheyenne and Livy.  They don't know which woman is the mother of each.  The father went on to become successful and rich but never contributed to the upbringing of his children.  Along the way, the family also took in a boy from the streets and adopted him as well.

Now everyone is struggling.  Cheyenne is back home after a failed marriage.  Livy is working a series of low-paying jobs, saving every cent she can to go fish in Alaska which is her dream.  Essex, their brother, joins the military so that he can get some steady money and benefits to help his family.  When the sisters find out the other woman's name, Cheyenne goes on a road trip to try to find her.  

The book follows each individual as they try to gain their dreams.  Livy makes it to Alaska and falls in love.  Cheyenne discovers that the other woman is not motherly and she has nothing to offer the sisters.  Essex finds that he likes the military but falls afoul of its rules.  

Vanessa Veselka is an American author who seems to share the restless lives of her characters.  She has been a train hopper, a student of paleontology, a mother, a teenage runaway, a musician and a labor organizer.  Her interest is in those living on the edge of poverty, those who can't quite reach the American Dream.  This novel was her second and was a National Book Award nominee.  The characters live out their lives on the edge of poverty, always trying to become more stable.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.