Description

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A teen embarks on the road trip of a lifetime in this authentic, beautifully written debut novel.

Lemon grew up with Stella, a single mom who wasn’t exactly maternal. Stella always had a drink in her hand and a new boyfriend every few months, and when things got out of hand, she would whisk Lemon off to a new town for a fresh beginning. Now, just as they are moving yet again, Lemon discovers that she is pregnant from a reckless encounter—with a guy Stella had been flirting with.
     On the verge of revisiting her mother’s mistakes, Lemon struggles to cope with the idea of herself as a young unmarried mother, as well as the fact that she’s never met her own father. Determined to have at least one big adventure before she has the baby, Lemon sets off on a cross-country road trip, intending not only to meet her father, but to figure out who she wants to be.
     Lyrical and moving prose from an original voice whose writing Judy Blume calls “luminous” deftly depicts the nuanced conflicts of early motherhood and the search for identity.

About the Author

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Kristen-Paige Madonia is the author of Fingerprints of You, and her short fiction has been published in the Greensboro Review, The New Orleans Review, American Fiction, and Five Chapters. She holds an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, and now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband and son. She teaches creative writing at the University of Nebraska, Omaha MFA program, the University of Virginia, and James Madison University. Visit her at KristenPaigeMadonia.com and @KPMadonia.

Praise For…

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“Kristen-Paige Madonia is a remarkable young novelist. Her writing is luminous, her voice original, and the journey she takes us on, compelling. From the first page she pulls the reader into a world of authentic characters we've never met before, characters living real and complicated lives, and she doesn't let go. Sure to appeal to both teens and adults who will want to read it again, just as I did. What a thrill to discover this talented writer.”
— Judy Blume

"Lemon's thoughts, actions and feelings are palpable, and we are tugged along with her on her journey to find out who she is--and how much the imprints of those in her past and present will affect her future. Beautiful prose and a heartfelt story."
— Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award-winning author of Mockingbird

"A strong first novel, Madonia’s coming-of-age tale reveals both flawed and compassionate characters."
— VOYA

"Beautifully told."
— Kirkus Reviews

"Debut novelist Madonia offers an intimate reflection on the meaning of family...[a] thoughtful story about finding an identity and a home."
— Publishers Weekly

"A character-driven...a well-written and thought-provoking debut."
— Booklist

"Readers will appreciate the candidness of the writing. This compelling debut novel is sure to appeal."
— School Library Journal

"The characters are complex, fully drawn people who make mistakes, change, grow, and remain likable through it all."
— BCCB