First published 2011
Grace Williams is eleven when doctors tell her parents nothing more can be done for her. They send her to the Briar Mental Institute. On her first day at Briar, Grace meets Daniel. Daniel has epilepsy and types with his feet, but he possesses charm and confidence. He sees Grace differently than everyone else does. While others write Grace off, Daniel recognizes her as someone worth knowing. He wants to share secrets with her and steal kisses. He becomes willing to fight for her. Their relationship develops within the institutional walls where society has placed children it deems difficult or damaged. Grace and Daniel create their own world together, finding connection despite the circumstances that brought them to Briar. The story follows their bond as it deepens into something resembling love, even as they navigate the restrictions and challenges of institutional life. Henderson explores how two young people can find each other and build something meaningful when the outside world has essentially given up on them.
Genres: fiction, mental-illness, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama, disability
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-outcasts
Setting: Briar Mental Institute
Period: 20th-century
325 pages · Paperback · Sphere (imprint of Little Brown)
Content warnings: mental-illness