Set in the 1960s, Barbara Bottner's I Am Here Now is a beautiful novel in verse about one artist's coming of age. It's a heartbreaking, powerful and inspiring depiction of what it's like to shatter your life-and piece it all back together. You can't trust Life to give you decent parents, or beautiful eyes, a fine French accent or an outstanding flair for fashion. No, Life does what it wants. It's sneaky as a thief. Maisie's first day of High school should be exciting, but all she wants is to escape. Her world is lonely and chaotic, with an abusive mother and a father who's rarely there to help. So when Maisie, who finds refuge in her art, meets the spirited Rachel and her mother, a painter, she catches a glimpse of a very different world-one full of life, creativity, and love-and latches on. But as she discovers her strengths through Rachel's family, Maisie, increasingly desperate, finds herself risking new friendships, and the very future she's searching for. An Imprint Book

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