When a ship carrying Mahindan and 500 fellow refugees from Sri Lanka's civil war reaches Vancouver, the young father thinks he and his son can finally start a new life. Instead, they are thrown into a detention processing center, as rumor spreads that some may be terrorists. While the other refugees are interrogated, Mahindan begins to fear that a desperate act taken to fund their escape may now jeopardize his and his son's chance for asylum.

There are good moms and bad moms, and then there are hot-mess moms. Ashley Keller, career girl turned stay-at-home mom, is trying to navigate the world of mommies but failing miserably. When she gets the opportunity to participate in the 'Motherhood Better' bootcamp run by the mommy-blog-empire maven she idolizes, she jumps at the chance. But will she fly high or flop?

Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee. When her body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles, forcing them to confront the secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart. James sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage, while Marilyn is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy is somehow involved. But it's the youngest of the family-Hannah-who sees more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth.

Emily Winslowe has had an adventurous upbringing. Daughter of a mountain guide, she has climbed Everest and other peaks most only dream of. But for all her prowess, she's lacking some key experiences. Namely, guys. Especially one - Luke Norgay, her childhood best friend who she hasn't seen in two years. Luke unexpectedly reappears as a guide just in time for the Everest climbing season. The problem is, there's a detail about Emily's past that Luke doesn't know. It's the reason she ended up in the Himalayas in the first place, and the reason she must make it to the summit of Mount Everest this year.

Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: she killed a man. She was never caught, but she knows this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from an abusive ex-husband. Hearing of Rockton, a domestic violence support town that takes in people on the run, the two apply to live there. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want; she's a detective, and Rockton has had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, after arriving, Casey  starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self. Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze...

 When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend, she finds herself burdened with the dog he has left behind. Her grief is intensified by the suffering of the huge Great Dane, traumatized by the loss of its master, and by the threat of eviction. While others worry about her sanity, she refuses to be separated from the dog, and becomes increasingly obsessed with its care. But while troubles abound, rewards lie in store for both of them. 

Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day.  Now, women are no longer allowed more than one hundred.  And this is just the beginning. Soon they can't have jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Dr. Jean McClellan will reclaim her voice.