Deschutes Public Library

A million things, Emily Spurr

eng

no index present

fiction

A million things

Emily Spurr

"A bursting, heartfelt debut following fifty-five days in the life of ten-year-old Rae, who must look after herself and her dog when her mother disappears. For as long as Rae can remember, it's always just been her, Mum, and their dog, Splinter. They don't have a lot, but that's fine, because they like keeping their world small. They have their walks, their cooking routines, and sometimes Mum will disappear for a little while to clear her head, but Rae is okay with this, because Mum always comes back. But one day, Rae wakes up to Splinter's nose in her face, the back door open, and no Mum. For weeks, Rae keeps up the house just like Mum taught her, goes to school, walks Splinter, and minds her own business--all the while pushing down the truth she isn't ready to face. That is, until her grumpy, lonely neighbor Lettie--with her own secrets and sadness--falls one night and needs Rae's help. As the two begin to rely on each other, Rae's anxiety intensifies as she wonders what will happen to her when her mother's absence is finally noticed and her fragile world bursts open. A Million Things transforms a gut-wrenching story of abandonment and what it's like to grow up in a house that doesn't feel safe into an astonishing portrait of resilience, mental health, and the families we make and how they make us in return"--, Provided by publisher