The Quiet You Carry

Gr 9 Up—A raw, unflinching work of fiction that delves into the world of foster care through the eyes of a teen named Victoria. The story opens as the clock turns 3:08 a.m. and the City of Reno Police Department and Child Protective Services converge on Victoria's home. Her father has thrown her out, and she is left to the foster care system. Trying to come to terms with this rejection, she struggles to finish her last year of high school and make her way to college. Her mind lingers on the past and the shock of her father's actions. She worries for her stepsister's safety. Silver Valley High is a lot different from her old school; it's hard to disappear, new friends ask about her past, and all the while she keeps getting jarring flashbacks. With only months until her 18th birthday, Victoria must learn how to make her own way in the world. She has only the words of her long-departed mother to guide her: "Everything in life is temporary, the good and the bad." The author draws on her own experience growing up in foster care and addresses her readers directly in a note, reminding foster kids that they are not alone. Resources are also appended.