A powerful and provocative debut novel, GETTING THE IMPORTANT THINGS RIGHT is the family saga of Colonel Thomas McChesney Albemarle, his southern debutante wife, Ma'am, and their three children, Percy, Sis, and Oops. While Ma'am turns to alcohol to escape The Colonel's abuse, the children side-step the family mine fields alone and forge a loving bond that will sustain them through the chaos. Percy dreams of a loving relationship with his father, while Sis longs for a strong mother who will stand up to her abusive husband. Baby Oops retreats to a world of books where family conflict and parental neglect can't reach her. Told with captivating grit, humor, and insight, this tale of family discord carries the Albemarles through decades of turbulence until tragedy teaches them to forgive and understand by GETTING THE IMPORTANT THINGS RIGHT.