About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle schooler is beginning to ask questions about social justice, historical stigmas, or is navigating the profound grief of a family member with a terminal illness. Set in the early years of the AIDS pandemic, the story follows Iris as she balances the heavy secret of her father's diagnosis with her desire for a normal school life. It is a deeply empathetic look at how silence and prejudice can compound personal loss, but also how finding one's voice can lead to healing. While the subject matter is heavy, the book is written with a lyrical tenderness that makes the emotional weight manageable for ages 10 to 14. It serves as an excellent bridge for discussing the history of the LGBTQ+ community and the power of activism. Parents will appreciate how it models healthy emotional processing through poetry and the importance of preserving a loved one's legacy through truth rather than shame.
