Luanne Rice excels at creating stories about love and family relationships and Little Night is no exception. Clare and her sister Anne are very close as sisters, bonding together in the face of abusive and distant parents. Anne meets and marries an artist from Denmark, not realizing until after the marriage that he is controlling and domineering.  Her husband forbids her to see Clare and they lose contact for several years. Clare finally takes matters in her own hands and shows up at Anne’s home, where she meets her niece and nephew and sees that Anne has been physically abused by her husband. She convinces Anne to leave with her but before they can escape, Frederik returns home.  Clare tries to protect Anne when she is attacked by Frederik but is charged with assault, jailed, and sentenced to a prison term. In that split second, Clare’s life is changed forever. After her release, she makes a life for herself in New York City, writing a nature blog and leading birding tours in Central park and around the city, but she keeps friends and family at a distance. Her niece Grit contacts her and they begin to build a relationship, beginning a new life for Clare and opening her heart to love and relationships. This is a touching novel about the pervasive effects of violence and abuse in families, and is both a thoughtful and hopeful story.