Kary Joseph Shender

Believing in Bridges Kary Joseph Shender

Fourteen-year-old Francesca knows that her mother is in prison. But why? What is it that happened when Francesca was just six, something so horrible that Francesca's mind shuts down each time she tries to remember? Aunt Larissa is Francesca's legal guardian now, a woman whose clipped talk includes nothing about her sister. She does take Francesca on the long bus and train trip to the women's prison, but a fog alert triggers a total lockdown and they are turned away. When during the weeks that follow it becomes clear to Francesca that her aunt won't rush to take her again, she decides to visit her mother independently - and without Aunt Larissa's consent. It takes months to earn the money for the trip. Francesca braves some odd jobs that most rational people would turn down, but this has nothing to do with reason. She is desperate to be with her mother and to rebuild the emotional bond between them. Francesca owns just one piece of mail from her mother, a birthday card with "Love" underlined, no personal message at all. What will happen when Francesca finally does make the complicated, costly trip to be face-to-face with her mother? Will the long silence be explained? Will her mother be the same person Francesca knew before The Thing happened? And perhaps most important, who has Francesca become?