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There are two constants in Opal’s life: her dad’s grungy green baseball cap, and her troubled pal, Marianne, whom Opal loves as a best friend . . . and even more. But nothing stays the same forever. When Opal receives the horrifying news that Marianne is dead, she suddenly must live her life and make decisions based on the needs of one person instead of two. Only with the help of her family and the story of Hannah, a runaway slave, can Opal begin to free herself from the weight of her memories, her ghosts, and her own truth.
Tonya Cherie Hegamin decided that she would be a writer when she was eight years old. Between then and now, she has also been a social worker, an educator, a vintage clothing vendor, a vegan soul food caterer, and the program director of a poetry retreat. Tonya is a graduate of Cave Canem and a native of Pennsylvania.
"The writing is fresh and lyrical, shifting seamlessly between poetic description and down-home slang..."--The Bulletin "Hegamin’s first novel is richly imaginative as it deals with difficult subjects. Opal’s and Hannah’s parallel stories of love and loss blend seamlessly in this small book that packs a big wallop."--School Library Journal —