If you enjoy Studio Ghibli films you will love this short fantasy light novel.

Fourteen year old Jerusha Dowdy feels like a terrible burden to her Uncle Frank and Aunt April, who took her in when she was a baby. A burden that only grows once Jerusha starts having strange hallucinations - she sees bruises on her body if tree trimmers maim the trees near her front yard. And she can feel the pain of animals suffering, even those whose poor carcasses lie in the freezer, ready to cook.

Her relatives adore their perfect son, Frank, Jr., and treat Jerusha like a disease. Their bullying is almost as bad as the taunting she endures at school because of her strangely shaped shoulders.

Then, one day while her family is gone, Jerusha falls down the hall stairs, and is rescued by a peculiar old lady, Miss Solitaire, who reveals that she has been watching over Jerusha for years. She tells the girl that she has inherited some very special powers. Powers that could change Jerusha's life - and the Earth - forever! Can Jerusha accept the truth about herself? And if she does, will it help her find the acceptance she needs - from her own family?

Sign up now to get the most out of Books2Read

Discover something great at Books2Read.

Thanks for signing up for Books2Read notifications!