About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is starting to notice that adult lives are complicated, or when they are struggling with the weight of a secret. Set during a sweltering Oklahoma summer, twelve-year-old Franny Parker spends her days rehabilitating injured animals and listening to the rhythmic stories of the local quilting bee. Her quiet life is disrupted when a new neighbor, Lucas, moves in with a heavy secret about his home life that Franny must learn how to handle with grace and wisdom. This is a gentle, atmospheric story that explores the intersection of empathy and boundaries. While it touches on the difficult reality of domestic instability, it does so through the lens of a supportive community. It is an ideal choice for middle-grade readers who appreciate nature and are developing a more nuanced understanding of the world. Parents will find it a perfect bridge for discussing how to help others without losing oneself, and how healing often happens in small, everyday moments.
