WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS

A 17-year-old girl is devastated by her father’s death and the secrets she learns after his passing.

Evie Parker returns home from the hospital following her father’s sudden death from a heart attack to find his belongings packed up. Realizing he had been about to move out and heartbroken, angry, and worried for her mom’s well-being, Evie unpacks everything and keeps her discovery secret. This snap decision marks the start of a difficult journey, one that involves struggling with her already fraught relationship with her mother while they both grieve—and discovering that her father had a much younger lover named Bree. Despite the support of her best friend, Juana, and the new friends she makes in the summer photography course she joins (including the incredibly cute Declan), Evie starts to spiral when she finds out that Bree is pregnant. From Evie’s growing passion for photography, her strained relationship with her mom, her loving friendship with Juana, and her charming romance with Declan to some incredibly difficult, harrowing encounters with Bree, the author crafts a beautiful exploration of a family torn apart by secrets and grief. Written through the lens of a messy, complex teen girl, this is a story infused with humor, hope, and a lot of heart. Evie and Bree are presumed White; Declan is Japanese and Irish American; and lesbian Juana is coded as Latinx.

A moving portrayal of grief, family, and the complexity of different perspectives.