After the death of her estranged mother, who left the family years ago for her lesbian partner, 17-year-old Shawna Gallagher finds herself inextricably swept up into her mom’s new “family” in a way she never could’ve imagined.
* * *
My life wasn’t always this complicated. And Mom wasn’t always a lesbian.
Once when I was eleven and still hoping she’d come back, I said, “Maybe it’s not true. You don’t look like Fran”—who, at the time, looked pretty butchy to me. “So maybe you’re not really, you know. One of them.”
Mom snapped back, “I’m a lesbian, Shawna. Les-bi-an. Why are you so afraid to say that word?”
But what lesbian looks like a ravishing, Scandinavian faerie? Pale blond hair, Nordic eyes, a reed-thin frame—all of which I inherited, minus the ravishness. People don’t expect Drop- Dead Gorgeous when they hear the word “lesbian.” They think crew cuts, Harleys, and a wallet in the back pocket.
I haven’t seen Mom since I was fourteen. I’ve spoken to her on the phone, but mostly in grunts and monosyllables.
Now the worst thing I ever said to her springs to my mind: “Don’t come. I hate you. Just leave me alone.”
Copyright 2009 Jeannine Garsee
Music
Besides Elvis?
Classical, classic rock.
Movies
The Wizard of Oz, Mean Girls,The Godfather Saga, Muriel's Wedding, 13 Going on 30, Quiz Show, Shattered Glass, Freaky Friday, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Groundhog Day, Full Metal Jacket, Billy Jack, anything with Joan Crawford or Bette Davis, Gone With the Wind, Somewhere in Time, Big, All that Jazz, Chicago, Thorn Birds, Dangerous Minds, Renaissance Man, Imitation of Life, Crash, The Chalk Garden, Silence of the Lambs, Terms of Endearment, PeeWee's Big Adventure, The Four Seasons, Steel Magnolias, The Secret Garden, The Breakfast Club, Chevy Chase's "Vacation" movies, Tootsie, The Diary of Anne Frank, Sophie's Choice, The Trouble With Angels
Television
Six Feet Under, American Idol, Law and Order, Dead Like Me, Grey's Anatomy, Nanny 911, Medical Incredible, Bones, Forensic Files, South Park, Cold Case, Ugly Betty, American Justice, My So-Called Life
Books
Middle Grade/Young Adult:Laurie Halse Andersen, Sarah Dessen, E.R. Frank, Mary Beth Miller, Julie Anne Peters, Sharon Flake, Emily Neville, Norma Fox Mazer, Lisa Yee, Debra Garfinkle, Cynthia Lord, Rachel Cohn, Cecil Castellucci, Joyce Carol Oates, Nancy Werlin, Walter Sorrell, Patrick Jones, K.L. Going
Adult: Diana Gabaldon, Amy Tan, Alice Hoffman, Harper Lee, Carson McCullers, Sara Gruen, Ann Rivers Siddons, Lee Smith, Marlys Millhiser, Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Jonathan Kellerman
Heroes
Louise Fitzhugh and Judy Blume for changing the face of children's literature
Is somebody else's drinking or drugging making you SICK SICK SICK???
Check out ALATEEN ... answer the questions.
Don't wait till it's too late.
SAY THE WORD
A BOOKLIST *STARRED REVIEW*"There are many issues at play in this powerful and compelling novel—gay rights, acceptance, shame, first love, domestic violence, harassment, depression—all swirling around Shawna, whose thoughts and emotions are not always politically correct, but are always genuine. This sensitive and heart-wrenching story slowly unfolds into a gripping read featuring realistically flawed characters who undergo genuine growth." Booklist
"Garsee manages to give every character depth and dimension without falling into the trap of making the children too perfect and angelic and the adults imperfect... Readers will believe Shawna’s final transition from doormat to independent thinker.” Kirkus Reviews
"Say the Word explores discrimination and resentment from unique points-of-view, giving its characters a chance for redemption. Some take advantage of the chance; others see no reason to change. Either way, the story is riveting. Garsee is a master storyteller and her books are a pleasure to read." Julie Prince ALAN ONLINE
"Garsee has created an intense, frank novel with fragile, resilient, believable characters... this is a mature and gripping coming-of-age story." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
BEFORE, AFTER, AND SOMEBODY IN BETWEEN
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!
An August 2007 BORDERS ORIGINAL VOICE
A 2008 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A School Library Journal "Remarkable Read"
Fourteen-year-old Martha dreams of two things--becoming a cellist, and escaping the chaotic life she shares with her alcoholic mom. But when cataclysmic events send her into the arms of a wealthy, caring family, she learns that “normal” doesn’t mean “perfect”—and that everyone has secrets, some of them worse than your own.
I set the gun on my dresser. How weird it looks, lying there on top of a colorful pile of hair scrunchies, between my copy of Romeo and Juliet and my Algebra II workbook. I look at it for a long time, then take a deep breath, reach over, and pick it up back up.
This time, it’s easier, and the longer I hold the gun, the less I’m afraid. I rotate it cautiously around in my hands, then flop back on my bed and rest it on my stomach, enjoying the weight, the certainty of safety.
For the first time in my life, I have power.
I have control.
"Sometimes, a book will come along that very quietly, very subtly changes your life. It shifts the world on its axis just enough to send you reeling—just enough to skew your perspective and have an impact on the way you think...This is one of those books".
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS: An hour into her first day of tenth grade, Martha knows she's in trouble: the school bully has threatened her life and her home life is in shambles. She wants to play cello – but even music is dangerous, until a wealthy lawyer provides a possible key to moving away from her dangerous life. A poignant story of a girl's struggle to be some(body and to) escape danger evolves in a complex plot highly recommended for older teens.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: There isn't much that doesn't happen to Martha Kowalski, the 14-year-old protagonist in Garsee's down and dirty debut... Garsee's unwillingness to tie things up neatly lends the story realism and poignancy. Ages 14-up. (July)
"Fans of Mary Pearson's A Room on Lorelei Street (2005) will be a good target for Garsee's look at another troubled teen trying to escape... Teens will inevitably find Martha a compelling character and will root for her..." BOOKLIST
"This gritty story has great appeal." Kirkus Reviews
"...packed with tension...this book is Martha's journey home--not to the places she lived, but her journey home to herself. (Garsee) knows about what she is writing and she leaves out nothing. Her work is painfully realistic, and she does not write "nice" because there are too many youth who struggle through such an existence..." VOYA
"Garsee...tells this disturbing-yet-poignant tale of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles with a clear voice and authenticity... Edgy, with realistically frank language, this dark young adult novel addresses drug and alcohol abuse, sex, violence, poverty, and urban life without sensationalism or rationalization and is sure to provoke discussion and increased awareness of what many teens face daily." Childrens Literature
"BEFORE, AFTER, AND SOMEBODY IN BETWEEN is a gritty and realistic tale of a girl trying to escape her parent's poor choices and make a life for herself. Told unflinchingly in the first person, Garsee doesn't hesitate from portraying teen violence, sex, and drug and alcohol use as the traps that they can be, but she does so with gentle humor and a compassionate eye. Martha is a flawed heroine, coming to terms with her own faults and the addictive tendencies she may have inherited from her mother, but readers will root for her to succeed..."
You have surely heard about the tragic death of a brave young woman who was murdered in Iran just for peacefully protesting with her father on the streets of Teheran.
Heyy. :D I was wondering of what happened to martha in the future? did she ever make up with that guy who took her in and does her mom remain a druggie person? >_.
Thank you for the add and for your support in this vital cause to increase the effort to EDUCATE our youth of the dangers of drugs and violence. Our future generation depends on the youth of today. Alcohol and Drugs are plaguing our society and we need to attack it head on where it is digging its roots; with our youth in our schools. Knowledge and Truth are the key to help them stay clean. They deserve the TRUTH about all of the drugs they will incounter. They are simply too smart to accept the old 'Just Say NO' adage. Todays teens want to KNOW for themselves, and a rebellious society we have created. They will seek the truth themselves and we must educate them with it. Can you handle the truth? That's what they respect. That's what they deserve! A NEW D.A.R.E. REQUIRES A NEW APPROACH Please help spread the word and tell your friends about us. Feel free to visit D.A.R.E. online at www. dare. com to show your support and/or shop for official D.A.R.E. merchandise. Peace :-)
Hi Jeannine! Wishing you an abundant and joyful holiday season. :) Liz PS I'm celebrating my deal with St. Martin's for Death Will Help You Leave Him, the follow-up to Death Will Get You Sober.
