Middlebury College grad, freelance writer, essayist, and author of young adult novels Maria Padian will read from and discuss her new novel for young adults, How To Build A Heart! Perfect for readers aged 12-18.
Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m. at The Vermont Book Shop, 38 Main St., Middlebury
Free and open to the public. Booksigning to follow.
In How to Build a Heart, 16-year-old Izzy Crawford just wants to feel like she really belongs somewhere. Her father, a marine, died in Iraq six years ago, and Izzy's moved to a new town nearly every year since, far from the help of her extended family in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. When Izzy's hardworking mom moves their small family to Virginia, all her dreams start clicking into place. She likes her new school—even if Izzy is careful to keep her scholarship-student status hidden from her well-to-do classmates and her new athletic and popular boyfriend. And best of all: Izzy's family has been selected by Habitat for Humanity to build and move into a brand-new house. Izzy is this close to the community and permanence she's been searching for, until all the secret pieces of her life begin to collide. How to Build a Heart, written for readers ages 12-18, is the story of Izzy's journey to find her place in the world and her discovery that the choices we make and the people we love ultimately define us and bring us home.
Maria Padian has a bachelor's degree from Middlebury College and a master's degree from the University of Virginia. She is a freelance writer, essayist, and author of young adult novels, including Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress, Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, and Out of Nowhere. Maria lives with her family in Brunswick, Maine.
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