A STORM OF STRAWBERRIES (2017)
Shortlisted for the Shrewsbury Big Book Award 2018
A story about differences and acceptance.
Darby is 12 and has Down’s Syndrome. She loves the strawberry farm where she lives with her family, music, and dancing. Her older sister Kaydee is the light of her life, the person she looks up to and dotes on. Kaydee has always been there for her, sticking up for her, playing games, and taking part in the annual Easter Egg Hunt.
The Easter weekend is spoiled though, by the arrival of Kaydee’s friend Lissa and the secrets she carries. Not only that, but a violent storm threatens the strawberry crops, and – more importantly for Darby – the chocolate egg hunt. Darby’s world is turning upside-down. Is her sister not the person she thought she was? Doesn’t Kaydee love her any more? Darby’s first-person narrative is interspersed with her memories, all jumbled up but so relevant to her view of the world. When Kaydee goes missing, there’s only one person who knows what to do.
A strong and tender story which turns ‘them’ into ‘us’ Miranda McKearney, OBE, Founder of EmpathyLab
Jo Cotterill 