In this fraught sequel, a happy ending spins into an emotional minefield for Jacob when his long-absent birth mother abruptly reappears.Left at the end of Jacob's Landing (2015) with a large inheritance and the prospect of having Maggie, his wise, loving foster mother, as an adoptive parent, Jacob sees an idyllic future ahead…until a letter from Jade, the mother who had abandoned him as an infant, arrives with a plea for a reunion. Ever the sort who agonizes over issues silently rather than talking them out, he holds off telling either Maggie or the grandparents he's living with about the letter, which sets the stage for some unpleasant surprise encounters while giving the story an introspective character with more focus on his angst and confusion than on exterior events. Is the adoption off? How should he treat this stranger, and what are her intentions? Fortunately, for Jacob anyway, Greer really stacks the deck-surrounding him with protective and responsible allies and casting Jade as reckless, emotionally unstable, and in the habit of fleeing when her misbehavior catches up with her. Readers may find the adult cast more nuanced and distinct than the typecast youthful one, which is confined to the inarticulate protagonist, classmate Ruby in the role of staunch friend, and a pair of ineffectual bullies. The author does effectively capture the texture of life in a small and apparently all-white Nova Scotia town.Loaded with inner Sturm und Drang. (Fiction. 10-13)