Pieces of Why

Tia is 12 years old, loves singing in the choir with her best friend Keisha, and dreams of being a professional singer. But her youthful optimism and innocence are shattered by a murder in the community, which ultimately reveals an ugly secret about her father, imprisoned for life. Parsons narrates in a youthful voice that perfectly evokes a young girl’s questioning and conflicting emotions on the cusp of adolescence: discovering that the world contains both beauty and horror, learning that people are not pure evil or pure good and that forgiveness is possible, and trying to figure out where she fits in. Parsons also deftly differentiates among the different character voices so that it’s always clear who is speaking. This is a well-done audiobook of a compelling coming-of-age tale. Ages 10–up. A Penguin/Dawson hardcover. (Sept.)