The triumphs and tragedies of a single family come to life in D. Warren Napier's poignant debut novel, "Benched Resolve."

When three generations of a family all live under the same roof, life can quickly become a bit messy. In this case, an old 1950s-built house has been specially renovated to accommodate four separate apartments-which does little to quell the constant tensions and surprising niceties that guide the family's day-to-day interactions.

Nestled within a small-town neighborhood that is slowly watching its charm give way to the big city, the unabashedly small house sits...