by Jean Little
First published 1972
Jimmie Gavin watches her world crack open when her parents announce their divorce. The news hits like a physical blow, adding fresh weight to problems she already carries as a teenager. School feels different now. Friends seem distant. Even ordinary moments at home turn strange and uncomfortable. Jimmie struggles to make sense of feelings she cannot name. Anger flares without warning. Sadness arrives at unexpected times. She wants to fix what her parents have broken, but the pieces keep slipping through her fingers. The divorce proceedings drag on. Jimmie learns new words like custody and settlement. She discovers that adults can be just as lost and frightened as children. Her mother cries behind closed doors. Her father moves his belongings into boxes. Through it all, Jimmie must navigate the usual teenage challenges. School assignments still demand attention. Social dynamics shift and change. Her body continues growing and changing whether she wants it to or not. The story follows Jimmie as she learns that some problems cannot be solved by wishing them away. She must find ways to live with uncertainty and build strength from whatever remains solid in her shifting world.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult, divorce, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, family-drama
259 pages · Hardcover · Harpercollins