Leaving Paradise
By Simone Elkeles
By Simone Elkeles
"Please sit down Caleb," orders a woman wearing glasses and a stern look on her face..."I swear the scene is out of a bad movie. Seven people sitting behind six foot long tables in front of one lone metal chair. "Meeting with is parole officer Damon, he is instructed to not contact his victim. Wasn't he a victim too? Of course he bumps into Maggie, now "crippled" by the hit and run accident where he was found guilty of driving under the influence, hand-cuffed and incarcerated as a juvie for one year.
From Maggie's perspective, since the accident she has a limp, she no longer is an athlete and loses a scholarship to go to Spain where she wanted to "get away" from Paradise. She used to eat lunch with the popular girls and now she is a loner. She no longer is friends with Leah, Caleb's sister, who has turned Goth since the accident. She and Leah used to be friends. They used to see each other every day. But Leah is Caleb's sister---Caleb who hit her, Caleb who was once her secret crush is now the one she hates!
Everything has changed since the accident and now the tension of Caleb being released from jail after only one year is mounting in her and in the community of Paradise. Will things get back to normal?
Can Maggie and can Caleb every hope for things to get back to normal in Paradise? Will he have to leave Paradise? Will she? How can it when he is forbidden to contact her but circumstances by chance bring these two together despite their efforts to avoid one another? When Caleb's community service and Maggie's after-school "job" happen to bring them together under Mrs. Richards roof they begin a journed to heal through Mrs. Richards guidance. She has a different outlook from others. A book about forgiveness and its ability to help individuals restore their lives and hope.
From Maggie's perspective, since the accident she has a limp, she no longer is an athlete and loses a scholarship to go to Spain where she wanted to "get away" from Paradise. She used to eat lunch with the popular girls and now she is a loner. She no longer is friends with Leah, Caleb's sister, who has turned Goth since the accident. She and Leah used to be friends. They used to see each other every day. But Leah is Caleb's sister---Caleb who hit her, Caleb who was once her secret crush is now the one she hates!
Everything has changed since the accident and now the tension of Caleb being released from jail after only one year is mounting in her and in the community of Paradise. Will things get back to normal?
Can Maggie and can Caleb every hope for things to get back to normal in Paradise? Will he have to leave Paradise? Will she? How can it when he is forbidden to contact her but circumstances by chance bring these two together despite their efforts to avoid one another? When Caleb's community service and Maggie's after-school "job" happen to bring them together under Mrs. Richards roof they begin a journed to heal through Mrs. Richards guidance. She has a different outlook from others. A book about forgiveness and its ability to help individuals restore their lives and hope.
Something extra: Want to chat about the book? Go to the author's website--its awesome! Go to the "Official Simone Elkeles Discussion Group", create a log in and participate in a discussion with the author----couldn't be better!
Genre: Fiction-Realistic Fiction, Romance-Fiction, Alcohol-Fiction, Handicap-Fiction, High School-Fiction, Self-esteem-fiction, even includes some sports, elderly characters and family relationships.
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