Because of the Sun by Jenny Torres Sanchez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am working on a middle grade novel, so I have been reading lots of books for teens this summer. In this mode, I just finished BECAUSE OF THE SUN by Jenny Torres Sanchez, and all I can say is wow! Interestingly, my latest novel is about a girl's conflicted relationship with her mother, so this book became like a mentor for me. The mom in my book is mentally ill, but the mom is Sanchez's book is damaged, and the damage causes her daughter's loneliness and psychological trauma-its own kind of damage. How can a daughter reconcile with an "absent" mother? Perhaps knowing the history of that mother can help, though-before that point-the rage, the fear, the despair become "touchably alive." And for Dani Falls-she has no idea who her mother is or was, and has learned to be on her own, like an orphan before she actually becomes one. Until....not about to provide a spoiler alert for this, but trust me, you MUST read this beautifully written and landscaped book. You might cry, but the tears will be good ones!

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