Swiss Mist by Randy Powell

This book follows Milo from his parent's divorce when he is in 5th grade through his mother's remarriage when he is in 10th. Milo's parent's divorced because his philosopher professor father did psychedelic drugs, cheated and lost the family's savings. The divorce forced his mother to move them into a cheap crime ridden apartment in a suburb of Seattle while she went to school to be a dental aid. She eventually starts dating an old widower friend from high school with 3 kids of his own. Meanwhile Milo's dad sends him sporadic post cards from around the world and eventually has him visit in Arizona. Milo also remembers his favorite 5th grade teacher who would tell tales of her trip to Switzerland and her aunt and uncle but he never understood why she was fired. Finally he sees her speak on her trip at a community college and afterward talks to her only to learn that it was all a lie. She's never been to Switzerland just photo-shopped her picture into stock pictures, she never had a great aunt and uncle and she now works as a topless dancer outside of town. He eventually realizes he is his own person not dependent on his father or who he thought this teacher was. Good book, not great. I'm nay.