ABOUT THIS BOOK

The year 1976 is just a few months away, and everyone in town is gearing up for the Bicentennial. But Doreen doesn’t feel much like celebrating. It just doesn’t seem right, so soon after the Vietnam War. So soon after Mama Dot and Daddy’s divorce. So soon after her little brother, Bobo, suddenly stops talking. Doreen knows for sure this will be a sad summer, an everybody-leaving-me summer.

But under the falling maple leaves, in her mother’s embrace, Doreen begins to learn the knowledge of the heart: You’re never alone if you have love — and your own song of faith.



REVIEWS

"As in Toning the Sweep, Johnson shows the misunderstanding and powerful love in families and offers a fascinating group of characters to illustrate her theme: the permanence of love in a world that is always changing. Another tender, eloquent book from a gifted writer." — Booklist, Starred



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Johnson’s titles include Maniac Monkeys on Magnolia Street, Gone from Home: Short Takes, and two Coretta Scott King Award winners: Heaven and Toning the Sweep.