A collapsing family in a Madison, Wisconsin shabby neighborhood hurls Jasmine Ramirez, a shrewd and daring 16-year-old with an eyebrow piercing, into living with her ill grandparents. Her enduring love for them builds on childhood banana splits, a cherished artwork, and a rescue from her mother's drunken tantrum.
Now things are different. In this sequel to Angels Don't Get Tattoos, Jasmine's best friend Kennedy is dead, her dad pulls away, grandmother has severe dementia, and both grandparents weaken and fade. Loyal and determined, Jasmine balances caring for them with her high school life, ambitious career goals, and tutoring Spanish. This delicate, clumsy balance is lled with grief and loneliness. Her friends and sort-of boyfriend help, but they face their own prickly challenges. Nobody knows the whole story--like her family, Jasmine is an expert at covering up, but things soon unravel in heartbreaking chaos.
" A tender story of a teenager's struggle to choose her path . . . Told with rare wisdom and an awfully big heart, Jasmine reminds us to be true to who you are and never look back."
-Jay Gilbertson, Author of The Madeline Island Series
" Having it told from a young adult's perspective made it a very powerful and touching story."
--Karen Park, Nursing Home Activity Director
Finalist in the fiction category of the 2016 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards
Learning about teens who take care of ill family members inspired me to write this novel. Emotionally-drained, their social life, education, and career goals are often damaged. Despite their societal invisibility, these brave, smart, and compassionate teens awakened me--they were my teachers. For thirty years, I was a university nursing professor, receiving teaching awards and writing non ction. I live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with my husband Wayne and our dog, Oreo.
Please visit me at www.ceceliazorn.com
