Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble

In Alexandra's corner are her wit, her volcanic passion, and the fact that she's barricaded herself in her Brooklyn brownstone with enough Molotov cocktails to take out the block. But her children have their own secret weapon -- her estranged son Chris, who returns after 20 years, crawls through Alexandra's second floor window and becomes the family’s unlikely mediator. No sooner are the words "Hi, Mom" uttered than the emotional bombs start detonating.