About:
Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district–and in their lives.
When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray–the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser–faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones–the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge’s top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she’s stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as “this” or “that”, when such complexity exists in each person?
My thoughts:
Katie is an excellent author. If you have never read anything by her I highly recommend you do. She touches on tough topics and dives deep into the heart of humanity.
This newest book is no exception.
There were parts that made me chuckle as I rode in the car with Camille and her sixteen-year-old daughter. I wondered if Katie had been in the car with me and my daughter and that is why she could write the tension so realistically.
But that is not the point of this story. There are so many prejudices we all still carry and this book takes a raw, honest look at that.
These women’s lives are messy, as are ours. I wondered how in the world this could get cleaned up.
I loved this book and couldn’t wait to return to it. I highly recommend it.
Visit Katie here.
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A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.