Set in the 1970s, 13-year-old Jesse struggles when she is socially ostracized because her mother is bipolar and suicidal. She starts over when they move to Northern England, but starts coming to terms with her sexuality.
Publisher’s Description:
After years of living in the shadow of her mother’s mental illness, thirteen-year-old Jesse Bennett is given a fresh chance at happiness when her family moves to a village near the coast of Northern England. But just when it seems Jesse might be able to build a new life, her mother’s worsening mental state and the secret Jesse fiercely guards about herself threaten to destroy the fragile stability she has found. Caught in the tempest of her mother’s moods, her father’s desperation, and the cruel social hierarchies ruling her school life, Jesse is forced to choose between doing what’s right and preserving the normal life she’s always hoped for.
Genre: Historical
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Jesse, Ms. Hastings
Cis boys: Malcolm
Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Jesse, Ms. Hastings
Gay/Queer: Malcolm
Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Jesse
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Jesse
Disability
Mental illness (bipolar): Jesse’s mother.
Trigger Warnings: Negative portrayal of mental illness, suicide/suicidal ideation