A child with all the promise a parent could hope for becomes a severe addict. A father pulls out all the stops to help him, oftentimes at the emotional expense of the rest of his family. Ups and downs, good times and bad, with lots of tears and prayers in between. Searching for something anything that might make a difference. In the end, all seems lost. My child, my son, lost his life to drug addiction. No one can comprehend the pain unless they have experienced it themselves. There is a hole in your heart that can never be healed. All seemed lost, including my faith. God, however, never gave up on me. Through his amazing grace, He took me to heaven. I saw my son. I saw Jesus, and He spoke to me. I literally received a hug from God. This is my son's story. This is my story.

A young journalist from the Midwest describes her sojourn in Iraq as the Baghdad Bureau Chief for the "Washington Post," detailing what it is like to cover a war under the constant threat of kidnapping, injury, and death.

Once a year, Abuelo comes from Mexico to visit his family. He brings his guitar, his music—and his memories. In this story inspired by the life of Apolinar Navarrete Diaz—author Angela Dominguez’s grandfather and a successful mariachi musician—Abuelo and his grandchildren sing through the bad times and the good. Lifting their voices and their spirits, they realize that true happiness comes from singing together.

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE, THE MILLIONS AND BOOKISH "Don't Cry for Me is a perfect song."—Jesmyn Ward A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice Walker As Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob's tumultuous relationship with Isaac's mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob's role as a father and his reaction to Isaac's being gay. But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace. With piercing insight and profound empathy, acclaimed author Daniel Black illuminates the lived experiences of Black fathers and queer sons, offering an authentic and ultimately hopeful portrait of reckoning and reconciliation. Spare as it is sweeping, poetic as it is compulsively readable, Don't Cry for Me is a monumental novel about one family grappling with love's hard edges and the unexpected places where hope and healing take flight.

A beloved musician shares her heart-wrenching story about how an abusive relationship helped her realize the importance of gaining freedom, letting go of expectations, and embracing the beautiful reality of who you already are. Unspoken expectations surround us. In culture, in the church, and in general. If they weren't pushed on you as a child, you're now scrolling through them as an adult. You should look like this, talk like that, dress like them. Own a house that looks like Joanna Gaines just decorated. Be as fit as your favorite Instagram mom, who somehow works out on her Peloton while balancing a newborn on one hip and her side hustle on the other. And, by the way, are you really in counseling this early in your marriage? The expectations surrounding us, particularly women, are ridiculous. What if we didn't try to fulfill them and instead started believing the promises Jesus fulfilled? What if we didn't cave to the expectation to look and behave how people want us to, and started looking at ourselves the way God sees us? What if we didn't do everything the way we've always been told it has to be done, and started walking in bold, audacious faith? In Over It, Kelsey Taylor Grimm doesn't show her best and hide the rest. Through the transparent telling of her own story, from an extensive, sexually and emotionally abusive relationship, to her ascension in the music industry, she invites you into her living room to talk through the ridiculous expectations of who you're supposed to be, and encourages the reader to embrace the beautiful realities of who you already are.

Readers will be touched and inspired by this latest novel from bestselling author Lurlene McDaniel: Beth's world has been torn apart. She cannot figure out how to go on when a car accident claims the lives of her entire family, and she is the only survivor. Things seem to get even worse when she moves in with her aunt and her spoiled cousin, Terri. But with the love and support of her aunt and some unexpected friends, Beth struggles to overcome the despair that threatens to consume her. Will she be able to move past the painful memories without feeling guilty for being a survivor?

When a recent spate of horrific murders is linked to a long-ago series of brutal crimes she hoped would never resurface, Chattanooga grief counselor Audrey Sherrod, who moonlights for the local police, soon discovers that the worst is yet to come. Original.

Kirkus Best Books of 2019 * Kids’ Indie Next Pick List * Bookpage Best Books of 2019: Middle Grade “Beautiful, mysterious and deeply satisfying.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it’s impossible for her to be the same as she was before. Not when her feelings have such a strong grip on her heart. Not when she and her twin sister, Naomi, seem to be drifting apart. So when Elodee’s mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving seems like it might just fix everything. Indeed, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Their kitchen comes with a box of recipes for Elodee to try. Everyone takes the scenic way to school or work—past rows of rosebushes and unexpected waterfalls. On blueberry-picking field trips, every berry is perfectly ripe. Sure, there are a few odd rules, and the houses all look exactly alike, but it’s easy enough to explain—until Elodee realizes that there are only three ice cream flavors in Eventown. Ever. And they play only one song in music class. Everything may be “even” in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection—and pretending? “Engrossing.” —New York Times Book Review “Enchanting, heart-rending, and bittersweet.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “An emotionally complex and wonderfully told story.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Thought-provoking.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)