Description

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Strong characters, complex relationships, and believable dialogue combine to create a touching story of loss and redemption in author Mark Delaney's Pepperland.

Pamela Jean (a.k.a. Star) is sixteen when her mother dies of breast cancer. Star is angry that her mother has died and abandoned her, and nothing seems to make her feel better. Not talking to her shrink. Not playing rock music with her best friend Dooley. Not even listening to her mother's old familiar Beatles albums.

It is not until Star finds an unsent letter addressed to John Lennon and a broken-down vintage Gibson guitar that she begins to find a way out of her grief...and maybe even a way to take care of some unfinished business left by her mother.

Written as homage to the Beatles and the healing power of music, Delaney's unforgettable novel offers a realistic and poignant look at a difficult period in a teenager's life and the process of finding one's self.

About the Author

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Mark Delaney earned a master's degree in comparative literature from the University of California at Irvine. A former bookstore owner, he is the author of young adult novels and teaches high school in Tennessee.

Praise For…

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"Delaney's novel tells a quiet, moving story about a smart, capable teen learning to cope with a parent's death. . . What works best is Star's believable, gradual healing, described in vivid details and memorable scenes, as she finds ways to stay connected to her mother through their shared passion for music."—Booklist

"Delaney's sensitive style and his development of realistic, multidimensional lead characters combine to create an absorbing story set in the early '80s. . . The author shows how a love of art can help one cope with difficulties as he deftly balances the dual themes of dealing with tragic loss and with being different."—School Library Journal