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The Impossible Why
Sixteen-year-old June Taylor, raised Jehovah’s Witness, homeschools in the Arkansas countryside. Her mother’s moods and rages keep the whole family doing The Eggshell Walk. June finds solace and sanctuary in her clapping tree, her work as a McDonald’s cashier, and with Grits, the neighbor’s sweet yellow lab. June’s world explodes when she accepts a forbidden date and her mother leaves. June is willing to sacrifice it all to win her mother back. But when June meets Keegan, a young man from a different faith, she will be forced to question everything she holds dear—including loyalty to her mother.
376 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Impossible Why by Summer Hammond before its release date, and I’m so glad I did because this book now owns a little piece of real estate in my heart.
At the core of this story is June, a character I came to love. I rooted for her throughout every page. She is forced to deal with the heavy weight of religious control and emotional abuse by a mother whose cruelty and tenderness leave not only June scared, hurt, and confused, but the reader too. Hammond writes the mother character so beautifully because even though she abuses her family, you want to like her, you want to witness her change, you want the family to win. The family dynamics are fascinating to witness.
This is a story of June longing for love, for freedom, and for the right to choose her own life. What struck me most was despite the trauma she endures, she never loses her heart. Her sensitivity remains intact throughout, and that stayed with me long after I finished the book. June feels the world she lives in, and she is fully present in witnessing it. It made me want to live with more awareness. I wanted to be more like June.
What makes this work extraordinary is not only its exploration of abuse and indoctrination, but the way June makes meaning through books, ideas, and the characters she turns to for strength. Her mind is alive on the page. She is a deep thinker and a deep feeler, and that interior life makes her journey feel intimate and unforgettable. Even coming from a completely different background, I found myself relating to her. Not what was happening to her, but the way she processed pain. Hammond has a keen understanding of her emotions.
The relationship between June and her sister is so tender and so painful, and I found myself rooting for both of them. Their bond, even under the pressure of a mother who weaponizes love and pits them against one another, felt heartbreakingly real. The exploration of this wound marked my heart more than any other part of the book. The looks the girls give each other, the gestures, their conversations, they were visceral and jumped off the page.
And then there are the conversations between June and Keegan. Whoa! These discussions about trauma, faith, indoctrination, and belief are some of the most compelling I’ve read. They are fiery and thoughtful. At times, I realized I was literally holding my breath while reading them. They made me uncomfortable and made me reflect on my own beliefs and whether I am truly open to examining where I might be wrong. Beyond serving the story, those conversations feel like a model for what honest, rigorous, deeply human questioning can look like.
This book tucked itself into my heart. It is rich, devastating, and deeply life-affirming. I can’t recommend this story enough if you love a good, human tale.
At the core of this story is June, a character I came to love. I rooted for her throughout every page. She is forced to deal with the heavy weight of religious control and emotional abuse by a mother whose cruelty and tenderness leave not only June scared, hurt, and confused, but the reader too. Hammond writes the mother character so beautifully because even though she abuses her family, you want to like her, you want to witness her change, you want the family to win. The family dynamics are fascinating to witness.
This is a story of June longing for love, for freedom, and for the right to choose her own life. What struck me most was despite the trauma she endures, she never loses her heart. Her sensitivity remains intact throughout, and that stayed with me long after I finished the book. June feels the world she lives in, and she is fully present in witnessing it. It made me want to live with more awareness. I wanted to be more like June.
What makes this work extraordinary is not only its exploration of abuse and indoctrination, but the way June makes meaning through books, ideas, and the characters she turns to for strength. Her mind is alive on the page. She is a deep thinker and a deep feeler, and that interior life makes her journey feel intimate and unforgettable. Even coming from a completely different background, I found myself relating to her. Not what was happening to her, but the way she processed pain. Hammond has a keen understanding of her emotions.
The relationship between June and her sister is so tender and so painful, and I found myself rooting for both of them. Their bond, even under the pressure of a mother who weaponizes love and pits them against one another, felt heartbreakingly real. The exploration of this wound marked my heart more than any other part of the book. The looks the girls give each other, the gestures, their conversations, they were visceral and jumped off the page.
And then there are the conversations between June and Keegan. Whoa! These discussions about trauma, faith, indoctrination, and belief are some of the most compelling I’ve read. They are fiery and thoughtful. At times, I realized I was literally holding my breath while reading them. They made me uncomfortable and made me reflect on my own beliefs and whether I am truly open to examining where I might be wrong. Beyond serving the story, those conversations feel like a model for what honest, rigorous, deeply human questioning can look like.
This book tucked itself into my heart. It is rich, devastating, and deeply life-affirming. I can’t recommend this story enough if you love a good, human tale.
May 23, 2026
June Taylor is a 16-year-old Jehovah’s Witness whose long-anticipated baptism is only a month away. Although a deep bond exists between June and her fiercely independent 19-year-old sister, Rain, an ominous force is at work, driving a wedge of distrust between them. Sadly, that force is their very own mother, Abequa, who showers June with gifts and praise while maintaining a palpable animosity toward the unfortunate Rain. In a moment of blind fury, Rain screams at June and calls her “Mommy’s little brat.” Then, in utter anguish, Rain cries, “Nothing. No matter what I do. Nothing makes her love me.”
When Abequa accuses Phil, her husband, of cheating with a flirty new member of their congregation, June’s father admits to the family that he did not cheat but that he made a mistake and acted out of lust. To make matters worse for June, her father announces that the family will no longer be attending any meetings at their Kingdom Hall. This dashes all her dreams of being baptized any time soon, and she is crushed.
Somehow, life goes on at the Taylor residence, until June meets a handsome young student on her first day of class at the University of Arkansas. But June soon learns that this young man, Keegan, is a Pentecostal Christian who proudly wears the tattoo of a Celtic cross on his forearm. While she is fiercely drawn to him, she knows that a relationship between a Pentecostalist and a Jehovah’s Witness is absolutely out of the question.
While June and Rain try desperately not to awaken the volcano that is their mother, Abequa moves in a sinister fashion to destroy the loving relationship that June has managed to build with Keegan. And Rain finally decides to escape the abuse that her mother constantly hurls her way. In his typical cowardly fashion, Phil takes Abequa’s side and casts both Rain and June out of his life.
The Impossible Why is a compelling story of the secret world of maternal abuse. It is also the story of two polar opposites who fall in love, and asks whether that love can survive the immense divide between their belief systems. It is an unflinching and brave story of friendship and love that hypnotized me until the very end.
When Abequa accuses Phil, her husband, of cheating with a flirty new member of their congregation, June’s father admits to the family that he did not cheat but that he made a mistake and acted out of lust. To make matters worse for June, her father announces that the family will no longer be attending any meetings at their Kingdom Hall. This dashes all her dreams of being baptized any time soon, and she is crushed.
Somehow, life goes on at the Taylor residence, until June meets a handsome young student on her first day of class at the University of Arkansas. But June soon learns that this young man, Keegan, is a Pentecostal Christian who proudly wears the tattoo of a Celtic cross on his forearm. While she is fiercely drawn to him, she knows that a relationship between a Pentecostalist and a Jehovah’s Witness is absolutely out of the question.
While June and Rain try desperately not to awaken the volcano that is their mother, Abequa moves in a sinister fashion to destroy the loving relationship that June has managed to build with Keegan. And Rain finally decides to escape the abuse that her mother constantly hurls her way. In his typical cowardly fashion, Phil takes Abequa’s side and casts both Rain and June out of his life.
The Impossible Why is a compelling story of the secret world of maternal abuse. It is also the story of two polar opposites who fall in love, and asks whether that love can survive the immense divide between their belief systems. It is an unflinching and brave story of friendship and love that hypnotized me until the very end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews