First published 2021
Fall 1968. Meryl Lee Kowalski arrives at a girls' boarding school, sent there to heal from the death of a close friend. The grief follows her into dormitory halls and classrooms where she struggles to find her place among strangers. Meanwhile, Matt Coffin runs from a violent gang, terrified that anyone who gets close to him will become a target. He moves through each day knowing that his past could catch up at any moment and destroy the people he might learn to care about. When Meryl Lee and Matt's lives intersect, something shifts for both of them. Their shared loneliness becomes the foundation for an unexpected friendship. Meryl Lee discovers allies she never anticipated and begins to see a path forward through her sorrow. Matt finds himself welcomed into something resembling a family, a group of people willing to stand with him despite the dangers his presence might bring. Their connection offers both teenagers what they thought they had lost forever: hope.
Genres: friendship, grief, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Girls' Boarding School
Period: Fall 1968
328 pages · Kindle Edition · Clarion Books
Content warnings: death