Lemon Drop Falls is almost here! While you’re waiting for release on February 15, check out this book trailer:
About Lemon Drop Falls
Brave the sour to taste the sweet.
Morgan is devastated by her mother’s sudden death. Before, Mom’s amazing organizational skills kept the family on track, and her bowl of lemon drops was always on hand to make difficult conversations easy, turning life’s sour into sweet. After, there’s no one to help Morgan navigate her new role caring for her younger siblings, her worries about starting junior high, and her increasingly confusing friendships. All she can do is try to fulfill her mother’s final request: Keep them safe, Morgan. Be brave for them. Help them be happy.
When Dad insists on taking the family on their regular summer camping trip, and Morgan’s efforts to keep her promise to Mom seem doomed to fail, Morgan’s anxiety spirals into a panic attack, and Dad treats her like she’s impossibly broken. Unable to share her fears and needs with Dad, and desperate to prove she’s got the strength to hold the family together, Morgan sets off alone to hike a flooding canyon trail. But somewhere on that lonely and dangerous journey, Morgan will encounter the truth about the final words her mother left her, the power in finding her own voice, and the possibility of new beginnings.
About the Author
Heather Clark grew up near the Rocky Mountains of Canada, then followed the mountain range south, to her current home in Utah, where she lives with her husband and three children who inspire the books she writes. Heather’s work as a writer, photographer, and teacher helps her see the beauty and unique value in every person. After dealing with her own childhood anxiety and OCD, Heather is passionate about representing neurodiverse children powerfully in fiction. When she’s not working, you can find Heather camping, hiking, boardgaming, or reading and celebrating books at MGBookParty.com. You can learn more about Heather and her books at HeatherClarkBooks.com. Lemon Drop Falls is her debut novel.
Advanced Praise for Lemon Drop Falls
“The depictions of grief and anxiety…are authentic and relatable, and the author’s own experiences lend credence to both.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Poignant and harrowing, the novel Lemon Drop Falls is about a tough girl who deals with grief, anxiety, and family challenges across one powerful summer.” —Foreword Reviews
“Clark presents a wrenching portrait…Not a happy tale, but a hopeful one, in the end.” —Booklist
“This emotional read is recommended for middle grade collections at school and public libraries.” —School Library Journal
“Young readers will connect with the expertly told story, written in dual time periods, before and after Morgan’s mother’s death… [T]his story can be used to help others in grief, finding some sweetness beneath the sour.” —Children’s Literature
“I love Clark’s heartfelt story about the bitterness of grief and the reminder that sometimes life’s sweetest moments are unplanned.” —Victoria Piontek, author of Better With Butter
“Equal parts heartwarming and fast-paced. Readers will immediately root for Morgan as she experiences all the sweet and sour life has to offer.” —Gillian McDunn, author of Caterpillar Summer and These Unlucky Stars
“As deliciously bittersweet as lemon drops, Morgan’s story weaves heartbreak and hope together with gorgeous, wistful prose for a deeply satisfying read.” —Cindy Baldwin, author of Where The Watermelons Grow
“Sensitive and moving, Lemon Drop Falls is a beautiful and gripping story of how to hold it together when everything falls apart. Readers will root for Morgan and feel inspired by her strength and resilience.” —Jasmine Warga, author of Other Words for Home and The Shape of Thunder
“Lemon Drop Falls is one of those rare books that will delight and entertain young readers, even as it changes their lives.” —Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of The False Prince