As he watches his mother cling to life after another overdose, Percy Martin promises her that he will make something of himself, circumstances be damned. But when social services comes to place him in foster care, he believes he can better keep that promise on his own. He’s ready to run away and take his chances on the streets until his social worker, a former foster child himself, offers Percy a deal: One year in foster care in exchange for returning to his mother if she lives and completes treatment.
Percy agrees and finds himself in the home of Grace Wilson, a single waitress with a loving home and a heart of gold. Free from the trappings of poverty, and thriving in his new environment, Percy must navigate his junior year of high school and all the pain and joy it has to offer—including new friendships and first love. But accepting the life he’s grown to love comes a price, and as the prospect of returning to his mother looms, Percy must decide if that’s a price he’s willing to pay.
Wesley Parker invites you into the world of the foster care system and doesn’t sugarcoat it one bit in this coming of age novel. Parker’s accurate portrayal of the painful realities of growing up before your time gives you hope that we have the power to overcome the obstacles thrown at us in life.
—Matthew Hanover, author of Not Famous and Not Dressed
Wesley Parker 