The weight of everything
(Book)

Following her mother's tragic death, seventeen-year-old Sarah takes on the role of caretaker to her grieving father and younger brother, which leaves little time and emotional energy for a relationship, but when a school project helps her rediscover her love of art, her perspective shifts.

"It's been six months since Sarah's mom died. Three months since her dad fell apart. Sarah has left her fine arts boarding school to take care of her dad and her little brother, and now she's trying to hold everything together at home while adjusting to the local public high school. With her dad's drinking and spending getting out of control, Sarah struggles to make sure that the bills are paid, the her brother is fed and safe, that her dad's grief won't crush them all. She has no time for art, unless she's cranking out a piece to sell online for some grocery money. And she definitely doesn't have the time or the emotional energy to find out if her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza, could be more than a friend. But then a school project prompts Sarah to delve into her mom's Mexican and Guatemalan roots. As she learns more about this side of her heritage, Sarah starts to understand her mom better -- and starts to face her own grief. When she stumbles upon a long-buried piece of history that mattered deeply to her mom, Sarah realizes she can't carry her pain silently anymore. She has to speak up, and she can't do it alone." --,Jacket flap.

Ages 12-18.,Carolrhoda Lab.

Grades 10-12.,Carolrhoda Lab.