The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins

A storytelling wonder. –starred review, Kirkus Reviews A Publishers Weekly Flying Start ***Four starred reviews!***

Lyndie B. Hawkins loves history, research, and getting to the truth no matter what. But when it comes to her family, her knowledge is full of holes. Like, what happened to her father in the Vietnam War? Where does he disappear to for days? And why exactly did they have to move in with her grandparents?

Determined to mold recalcitrant Lyndie into a lady even if it kills her, her fusspot grandmother starts with lesson number one- Family=Loyalty=Keeping quiet about family secrets. Especially when it comes to Lyndie’s daddy.

Then DB, a boy from the local juvenile detention center comes to stay with Lyndie’s best friend, Dawn. He’s as friendly and open as a puppy. There to shape up his act, he has an optimism that’s infectious. But when DB and Lyndie are paired for a school project about family history, it puts Lyndie in direct opposition to her grandmother’s rules.

A one-of-a-kind voice lights up this witty, heartwarming debut about the power of homespun wisdom (even when it’s wrong), the clash between appearances and secrets, the effects of PTSD, and the barriers to getting help even when it’s needed most.