Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone

In 1950s Jaipur, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi escapes an abusive marriage and arrives in the vibrant "pink city" alone, seeking independence. Becoming the most sought-after henna artist and confidante to wealthy women, she is privy to secrets she can never reveal, while carefully guarding her own.

Known for her unique designs and wise counsel, Lakshmi navigates the treacherous world of gossip and tradition, striving to build a life on her own terms. But her past catches up when her husband reappears, bringing with him a sister Lakshmi never knew she had, threatening to shatter the carefully constructed world she has created.

In a society on the cusp of change, Lakshmi must draw upon her talents and resilience to persevere, uplifting those around her as she confronts the challenges of family, love, and the enduring quest for self-discovery.

In the vibrant, glittering Shanghai of 1937, sisters Pearl and May live lives of carefree beauty and privilege. But their world shatters when their father gambles away their fortune and forces them to become brides to strangers from America to settle his debts. As Japanese bombs begin to fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May embark on a perilous journey that will lead them through war-torn China and across the Pacific to the shores of Los Angeles.

In the labyrinth of Chinatown, they face the harsh realities of immigration, discrimination, and arranged marriages, striving to build new lives while clinging to their identities as Shanghai girls. Yet, beneath the surface of their struggles lie petty jealousies, unspoken rivalries, and a devastating secret that will test the unbreakable bond between them. From the seduction of Hollywood to the suffocating weight of tradition and McCarthy-era paranoia, their path is fraught with impossible choices and heartbreaking sacrifices. At its core, this is a powerful story of sisterhood, resilience, and the enduring search for love and belonging against the backdrop of a tumultuous era.

In 1986, as the nation buzzes with anticipation for the Space Shuttle Challenger launch, three siblings navigate their own turbulent orbits. Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas, all seventh graders, are as different as the planets, each wrestling with anxieties that threaten to pull them into separate worlds. Cash, a basketball enthusiast sidelined by a broken wrist, fears failing school. Fitch battles a volatile temper he doesn't understand, finding refuge in arcade games. Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of commanding a NASA mission, yet feels increasingly invisible.

Bound by a chaotic home life and a shared love for science, the siblings find an unlikely connection through their enthusiastic teacher, Ms. Salonga. When she assigns a project that divides the class into spacecraft crews, each tasked with a mission, the siblings' lives begin to converge. As the fateful launch day approaches, the pursuit of a shared goal and the weight of historical events will forge an unexpected bond between Cash, Fitch, and Bird, changing their lives and their understanding of family, friendship, and the vastness of their own potential.

Told in three compelling alternating voices and beautifully illustrated by the author, We Dream of Space is a poignant and unforgettable middle-grade novel about finding your place, even when you feel worlds apart.

From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a sweeping story of엇 family, identity, and the enduring power of hope, set against the backdrop of the post-Civil War South and a struggling Louisiana school in 1987.

In 1875, Hannie Gossett, a former slave, embarks on a perilous journey with two young white women, seeking to reunite her family and offering a glimpse into a little-known piece of history: advertisements placed by newly freed slaves searching for loved ones after the Civil War. Their survival hinges on a “Book of Lost Friends,” a compilation of these heart-wrenching ads.

More than a century later, Benny Silva, a first-year teacher in August, Louisiana, is struggling to connect with her students. When she stumbles upon the long-forgotten "Book of Lost Friends," she sees a lifeline—a way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the painful history in their own backyards. As Benny and her students delve into the stories within the book, they uncover secrets that echo through generations, forcing them to confront the complicated legacy of the past and the enduring bonds of kinship.

Inspired by true events, The Book of Lost Friends is a powerful and ultimately uplifting novel about women, family, and the stories that connect us. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of remembering those who were once lost.