Synopses & Reviews
There's nothing ten-year-old Lily Sinclair likes about her new life in the city with her single mom. She misses her best friend, who seems to have forgotten her and their secret place, Willowood. She never sees her mom, who's working long hours at her new job. She's managed to make an enemy of the class bully. Mrs. Hiller from across the hall, who takes care of Lily after school, keeps preparing yucky healthy snacks for her. And she can't get her mother to tell her anything about her absent father. Her only source of comfort is her beloved pet gecko, Weemis. Everything changes when Mrs. Hiller introduces Lily to the owner of the Pet Palace, a nearly pet store, and his adult Down's syndrome son, Nate. Lily finds herself with an unofficial after school job--and forges a tentative friendship with Nate that's threatened by a dark secret about Nate that Lily knows nothing about.
Synopsis
Now in paperback, Willowood is a powerful novel from the natinally-acclaimed author of The Patron Saint of Butterflies, Cecilia Galante.
Synopsis
Ten-year-old Lily Sinclair isn’t liking her new life in the city. Her single mom is always working, she’s made an enemy of the class bully at school, and she misses her best friend, who seems to have forgotten her and their secret place, Willowood. Her only source of comfort is her beloved pet gecko, Weemis. But everything changes when her after-school caregiver, Mrs. Hiller, introduces Lily to the owner of a nearby pet store and his adult son, Nate, who has Down syndrome. Lily finds herself with an unofficial after-school job and forges a tentative friendship with Nate—but their bond is threatened by a dark secret that will change everything.
About the Author
Cecilia Galante has a BA from King's College, Pennsylvania, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Vermont. A resident of Kingston, PA, Cecilia teaches high school English, writes a book column for the Times Leader newspaper, and tries to think of interesting things to cook for her husband, Paul, and their three children.