Overview

Sometimes, healing requires courage you didn't know you had. After a tragic accident claims her parents in 1959, eleven-year-old Anne is sent to live with her grandfather on his remote desert ranch in Lovejoy-a town that has never brought her love or joy. Isolated among Joshua trees, dust devils, and endless skies, she struggles to find her place in a world that suddenly feels empty. Her grandfather is a man of few words, hardened by years of ranch life, and the desert itself seems as unforgiving as her grief. When outsiders arrive with plans to transform the town into Lake Los Angeles-a man-made lake, a new name, and promises of prosperity-Anne's grandfather sees them as a threat. To others, they bring hope. Anne searches for peace while her heart searches for love. Caught between the pain of the past and an uncertain future, she finds an unexpected ally in Steve, the ranch hand's son-the only one who seems to understand what it means to feel out of place. Can Anne find peace amidst the winds of change, and will love find her along the way? By award-winning author Amanda LaPera, Sway with the Wind is the prequel novella to the Desert of Dreams Series-standalone stories of friends in a small desert town (1980s-'90s) discovering resilience, courage, and hope. Content Warning: Books in the Desert of Dreams Series address many sensitive but important topics. This book includes the topics of bullying; historical events of the 1960s; racism and classism; dealing with death and trauma (generational and situational); and depression.

Full Product Details

9781965660072

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Reviews

""a moving YA coming-of-age tale ... compelling from start to finish ... a must-read.""- Richard Prause for Readers' Favorite (5-Star Review)

Author Information

For thirteen years, Amanda LaPera grew up in the small rural community of Lake Los Angeles, where, much like her characters, she was disappointed to learn there wasn't a lake and everything she planted died. She and her friends survived, buoyed by resilience and determination. Now her hobbies include watching hummingbirds in her yard surrounded by trees, playing board games with her husband, taunting her sons, and appeasing her dogs. She has sworn off succulents, because she believes they belong in the desert. Amanda LaPera is a national award-winning author. Her book, Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: A Family's Search for Hope, won a Silver IBPA Award, was a BookLife Prize quarter finalist and a Readers' Favorite Awards finalist. Her sequel Finding Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search was a finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards. She teaches English and is a member of the California Writers Club and the Southern California Writers Association. She is working on her Desert of Dreams young adult series, set during the 1980s and 90s in the California High Desert. To be notified of new releases and special deals, sign up for her newsletter at www.amandalapera.com.

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