The Drifter: A Novel

Betsy Young is a reluctant sorority sister, too independent to buy fully into the homogenous hive-mind her sorority requires. Without anything better to do in Gainesville, Florida, Betsy tries to get along, finding friendship with effortlessly charming Ginny and Caroline. Soon, however, Betsy understands that girls who let their questions, doubt, and distaste show on their perfectly made-up faces aren’t welcome–and she dramatically quits the sorority. Unmoored, she drinks too much and works a punishing shift at a local bagel shop, relying more than ever on Ginny’s friendship. During Betsy’s final year of school, the troubles on campus escalate far beyond cat fights and ugly sorority recruitment tactics: a serial killer has made several Gainesville women his victims. The stunning violence collides with Betsy’s life in a way that will shatter everything she knew about herself and her world.

Framed by present-day scenes of an adult Betsy–now Elizabeth–struggling to overcome residual horror of those long-ago years, The Drifter elegantly shows how youthful choices can haunt a lifetime and that rifts in a friendship can harm much more than pride when they prevent the kind of self-forgiveness that allows the past to finally fade.