PIECES OF WHY

Tia, a poor white twelve-year-old gospel singer, lives with her mom in New Orleans and loves being in the Rainbow Choir with her best friend. Her dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might just be talented enough. But when a fatal drive-by in her neighborhood takes the life of an infant, she finds she can't sing anymore. From the gossip ignited in her community, she learns the truth about her own father: his life-sentence prison conviction was not about a robbery as her agoraphobic mother always told her. He accidently killed a girl Tia's age during the crime. If Tia's going to rediscover the joy of music again, she must confront the pieces of why a man would make the choices that could lead to such a horrible outcome. In so doing, she'll discover one of the most beautiful aspects of being human: no one is all good, and no one is all bad, and it's the small kindnesses we extend to one another in life that can make all the difference.

PIECES OF WHY is a lyrical heartbreaker that explores family, violence, and community through a funny and brave cast of characters drawn with candor and immediacy.