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Jennie Englund, author of Oregon Battle of the Books title Taylor Before and After, will join us via Zoom for a Q&A from readers, parents, and teachers. Submit your questions to events@roundaboutbookshop.com.
Check out this pre-reading YouTube clip from the author introducing story, setting, and structure.
In this heartfelt middle-grade novel, an eighth-grade girl faces the aftermath of a tragic family accident—and struggles to move on.
Taylor Before and After tells the story of middle schooler Taylor Harper through journal entries alternating between two timelines: before and after a drunk driving accident, in which Taylor Harper was a passenger—and her brother was the driver. Before, Taylor was finally becoming popular, navigating the pressures of friends, frenemies, and a cut-throat initiation challenge by the coolest girl in school. After, she finds herself ostracized, bullied, and facing the glaring silence of things unsaid at school (and at home). Debut author Jennie Englund writes with compassion and empathy, moving fluidly from effervescence to quiet reflection in this tale of grief, depression, loss, and what comes next. Taylor Before and After is an emotional story of one girl’s journey to self-acceptance.
"A resonant look at coming-of-age in a socially networked world." —Kirkus Reviews
"Taylor Before and After moves like a wave from tragedy to hope, from despair to resilience. Readers will find inspiration in this love letter to the healing power of the written word." —Adrienne Kisner, author of Dear Rachel Maddow
Jennie Englund began Taylor Before and After during her time as a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow in Hawaii. She lives in Oregon, where she works as a teacher. Taylor Before and After is her first book.
