January 2017 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Losing your way | Running for your life | Finding your feet | 12+ A beautifully bittersweet debut in which a teenage girl discovers a latent talent that shines light on the darkest of times.
Fifteen-year-old Wing Jones lives with her mom, her big brother Marcus (a high school sports hero), and her brilliantly portrayed, bickering grandmothers, Chinese LaoLao and Ghanaian Granny Dee. “I can’t blend in but I don't stand out” is how Wing sums up her place in the world, and her insecurities are cruelly exacerbated by the racist prejudice of peers who mock her appearance and mixed race heritage. The family are doing their best to get on with their lives (Wing lost her cop father in a shooting) when a second tragedy strikes. But, in the midst of this agony (“I didn’t know it was possible for a heart to break in so many ways”), Wing is struck by an overwhelming urge to run and discovers that she’s an incredibly talented athlete. It turns out that nurturing this gift - and not blending in - might just be the very thing that gets her family back on track.
Set in the run-up to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, this is an expansive, heartfelt tale of loss, first love and self-discovery, and readers will truly root for Wing. Highly recommended for fans of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell.~ Joanne Owen
Debut novel about a mixed-race family hit by tragedy in 90s Atlanta from a talented young writer.For fans of David Levithan, Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell: a sweeping story about love and family from an exceptional new voice in YA. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants.
Already lots of buzz about the debut from Booktrust staffer Webber and it's well deserved, an immensely readable novel about family. [...] Running is key to Wing's self-discovery and these scenes are some of the most striking in the book, really inspirational to see such a positive storyline about girls and sport. Bookseller
Author
About Katherine Webber
Katherine Webber is the author of Wing Jones. She was born in Southern California and studied Chinese literature and language at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and comparative literature at the University of California, Davis. She has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Hawaii and Atlanta. She currently lives in London with her husband. Travel, books and eating out are her favourite indulgences. She also spends far too much time on Twitter. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is Katherine's second novel.
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