If This Were a Story

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An imaginative debut. Booklist
Hannahs growth is organic and well earned. Publishers Weekly

In the tradition of Crenshaw and The Thing About Jellyfish, ten-year-old Hannah copes with the bullies at school and troubles at home through the power of stories in this sweet and sincere debut.

Tenacious. That means strong-willed. My mother calls me that.

I wish I felt the same way.

If this were a story, I would discover I was a direct descendent of a famous soldier who won countless battles and protected hundreds of people. This resilience running through my veins wouldnt be damaged by the notes; it would fight off bullies and prevent my parents from yelling at each other.

But this is not a story. This is real life. My life as ten-year-old Hannah Geller, who is the only girl in fifth grade to have little red bumps on her face, is unable to let the sad thoughts escape her mind, and leaves heads-up pennies wherever she can to spread good luck.

And who also finds magic in the most unlikely of places.

Reviews

"Hannahs growth is organic and well earned." -- Publishers Weekly
"Like Ali Benjamins The Thing about Jellyfish (2015), Turleys accomplished novel is deeply rooted in the imagination of its protagonist, whose hopes and fears are truthfully voiced. . . .An imaginative debut. -- Booklist

Author Bio

Beth Turley is a graduate of the MFA in creative and professional writing program at Western Connecticut State University. She lives and writes in southeastern Connecticut, where the leaves changing color feels like magic and the water is never too far away. She is the author ofIf This Were a Story,The Last Tree Town, andThe Flyers.Visit her on Twitter @Beth_Turley.