First published 2005
Del has spent seventeen years moving between foster homes in Los Angeles. She's smart and sharp-tongued, with a gift for mimicking voices. At seventeen, she decides to change her name and flee the city to escape her life. But her getaway stalls when she gets trapped in an hours-long traffic jam. Eight years later, Del stands backstage on opening night of her one-woman theatrical show called "Breakout." The performance tells the story of that same Los Angeles traffic jam that derailed her escape attempt. The novel moves between these two moments in Del's life, showing how she turned her failed breakout into art. Her experiences in foster care become material for comedy. Her isolation transforms into connection with audiences. The anger that once drove her to run away gradually shifts toward acceptance of who she is and where she came from.
Genres: fiction, drama, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 17 Years, 8 Years
137 pages · Library Binding · San Val