Book excerpt: The Ties That Bind Us tells the story of four generations of women from the same family over the span of 80 years. Margaret is a widowed single mother, raising her daughter in the aftermath of immeasurable loss. Bridget is dealing with the struggles of her childhood by creating her idea of a perfect family. Elizabeth has spent her adolescence rebelling against all her family stood for, promising to do it all differently with her own children. Alice is doing her best trying to find her place in the world while she battles her greatest enemy: her own mind. Follow the thread as it weaves through the years, binding these four women together.