The Road to After

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This powerful debut novel in verse is a portrait of healing, as a young girl rediscovers life and the soothing power of nature after being freed from an abusive father. This powerful debut novel in verse is a portrait of healing, as a young girl rediscovers life and the soothing power of nature after being freed from an abusive father. For years, Lacey has been a captive without even realizing it. Her dad rarely let her, or her sister and their mom, out of his sight. But this situation changes dramatically the day her grandparents arrive to help them break free. It's the beginning of a different kind of life for Lacey, and at first she has a hard time letting go of her dad's rules of what's allowed. Gradually, though, his hold on her lessens, and her days become filled with choices she's never had before. Now Lacey can take pleasure in satisfying her curiosity about nature's details and rhythms. Being outside watching birds fly by or making things grow brings her joy, as does the freedom to wander and sketch in her nature journal whenever she likes. Learning to make friends proves to be a bit trickier-but soon she discovers there are rhythms for that, too, if she is willing to learn. Rebekah Lowell's poignant novel shows readers that it's possible to find your own way no matter what soil you've been planted in, and that there is always time for life to blossom into something new and exciting.

Reviews

Fleeing domestic abuse, a girl and her family begin a hard but hopeful journey to healing. . . . Reading about Rachel Carson, Lacey finds life lessons in the natural world: observing how a sunflower grows from a seed and how a winding creek finds its own way. Lowell, who in an authors note describes herself as a domestic-abuse survivor, focuses here on healing; the abuse is portrayed retrospectivelyfitting, given her audience. Like her gentle illustrations, the verse format suits her story, a mosaic of small epiphanies that cumulatively chart a path from darkness into light. . . . A moving, age-appropriate, and convincing portrayal of family resilience after trauma. Kirkus Reviews

Debut author Lowell positively depicts how trained professionals can help families regain control of their lives, and she draws upon her own experiences living in a household of abuse. Though Laceys struggles are emotional, her journey toward independence is filled with hope. Booklist

[Laceys] journey is paralleled with the image of a growing flower and is divided into three parts: sprouting, reaching for sunlight, and blooming. Written in verse, Laceys journey reflects her growth, regret, and her conflicted feelings surrounding her dad while trying to understand the abuse that she and her family endured because of him. The novel is full of hope and relays a clear understanding of what it might feel like to be a young girl escaping an abusive situationattempting to understand it and move on, while at the same time missing a parent despite the trauma he put his family through. Using nature as the framing device, the text allows the reader to see Laceys world opening up as she makes new friends, joins a homeschooling co-op, and learns that there is more hope and freedom in the world than she could have ever imagined. School Library Connection

Author Bio

Rebekah Lowell (RebekahLowell.com) is an author-illustrator with a passion for the natural world. As a survivor of domestic abuse, she has found the outdoors to be healing grounds, and when not in her studio, you can find her outside birding, gardening, raising butterflies-often with her daughters, whom she homeschools. She has a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Children's Literature and Illustration from Hollins University. Her artwork has been featured on the Maine Duck Stamp four times, and she is also an art educator. She lives with her family in her hometown of Biddeford, Maine.