⭐ "Grief, memories, and the difficulty of letting go permeate this powerful story about family, friendship, and finding your voice . . . deeply compelling . . . A riveting, courage-filled story." ~ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
⭐ "Employing Pandu’s lilting voice and quiet bravery, Perkins crafts an introspective novel about moving on from loss and finding the courage to fight for what one believes in." ~ Publishers Weekly, starred review
I went to college in Silicon Valley during the time when orchards (the place used to be called the Valley of Heart’s Delight thanks to their magnificent blooms) were torn down and replaced with commercial office buildings, housing developments, and mini-malls, so I set HOPE IN THE VALLEY in that era. I created characters who express a range of opinions around a property for sale in their town — should they preserve it for history’s sake, let the market determine what happens, or employ it for the sake of diversity and equity now and in the future? In the fictional town of Sunny Creek, as in small towns and cities across the United States, people care deeply about the flourishing of their communities. They disagree, however, about the means to get there.
In this novel, as in most of my others, I try to give my young readers dignity and space to think for themselves when it comes to the pursuit of justice and goodness. I believe they're capable of navigating nuance; they might even be better at it than we are because they are less rigid and still in formation. Essentially, my novel explores this broad question: how might we honor good from history while not letting the past impede a more just future? But it's also about a shy, old-fashioned seventh-grader who writes poetry and doesn't want to grow up--basically, Pandita is me. I wrote the poems that are included when I was twelve. It also features a first crush at drama camp, classic books, and The Sound of Music, because what would life be without the Von Trapp family?
Here
are the events; I'd love to see you there. Please mark your calendars and invite friends!
Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 7 p.m. | South Bay Area Launch Party | Books Inc. Palo Alto | Town and Country Village, 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California
Sunday, August 27, 2023, 2 p.m. | Massachusetts signing and conversation with author and editor Roger Sutton | Newtonville Books | 10 Langley Road, Newton, Massachusetts
Sunday, October 8, 2023, 4 p.m. | Colorado signing and conversation with author Claudia Mills | Boulder Bookstore | 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado
If you can't make any of these events, feel free to order a copy by calling any of the bookstores above and I'll personalize it for you when I'm there. I hope you like the novel!