Synopses & Reviews
Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant. Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnantdespite having never had sexher orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Minas claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Minas story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possibleand that Minas unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.
Review
Praise for
Immaculate:
"Immaculate is a bewitching and thought-provoking story about the strength and faith required to face a contemporary miracle. This one begs for a sequel."—National Book Award Finalist Deb Caletti
"Katelyn Detweilers Immaculate is a vividly-imagined story about magic, faith, and family. Her heroines wildly unlikely teenage pregnancy leads to more than just a brutal break-up and national scandal; it allows for an exploration of essential questions about sex, identity, and what belief means to human beings. In a lovely and uplifting twist, Immaculate gives us girls who believe in themselves and each other, girls who move forward—in spite of extremely difficult circumstances—to create joy, love, and new life."—Rachel DeWoskin, author of Blind and Big Girl Small
Synopsis
Your best friend hates you. The guy you liked hates you. Your entire group of friends hates you.
All because you did the right thing.
Welcome to life for Mena, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She's been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to hernot even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who's pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on earth.
And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine . . . and her own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways.
About the Author
Katelyn Detweiler (http://katelyndetweiler.com/) was born and raised in Pennsylvaniain a small town much like Minasliving in a centuries-old farmhouse surrounded by fields and woods. After graduating from Penn State University, she made the move to New York City, where she is a literary agent representing books for all ages and across all genres. Katelyn currently lives, works, and writes in Brooklyn. Follow her @katedetweiler
Author Q&A
Q: What prompted you to write this book? Two things: First, I’m fascinated by the balance between faith and reason. I grew up in a fundamentalist religion, and learned that Genesis was the only explanation for how the universe was created. We didn’t question it. Later, when I heard about evolution, I had to reconcile my religious beliefs with the plain facts in front of my face. I’m a true believer in the separation of church and state. I think children should be free to learn in an environment where they’re not made to feel uncomfortable for their religious beliefs--or lack thereof.
Q: How did your experience with your own church influence the story?
One of the things I appreciate about my religious upbringing is that it inspired me to read the Bible every day. I love to find ways to incorporate Bible stories into my novels, as I did in this one. But the downside of my early church experiences is that I saw how some people use religion as an excuse for their own prejudices and hate. You'll see some of that in the novel as well. And like Mena, I was banished from my church when I was a teenager, though my crime was far more ridiculous and less noble than hers.
Q: Why do you think this topic is of such interest to so many Americans right now?
I think the issue of evolution versus creationism has always been out there—it was in Darwin’s time, and it still continues. Maybe it’s because in some ways, the Bible makes it so easy for us: read this, believe it, case closed. Science is messy. Science is always in your face, making you question the things you thought you already knew. But that’s what makes it so necessary— we can always find out more. For me, believing in both God and science makes sense. Science is a way of honoring the creation of our universe by discovering as much as we possibly can about it. Evolution is part of that explanation.
Q: Like Ms. Shepherd, do you need your daily fix of Starbucks before you can start writing?
Ha! I absolutely must have my Starbucks fix every morning.
Q: While growing up did you raise puppies like the Connor family?
I wish! I had to wait until I was an adult. Last summer my good and faithful Labrador retriever died, and I had to get a new puppy right away before my heart broke to smithereens.