Girls in Trouble: A Novel by Caroline Leavitt
A Harvard-bound, beautiful 16 year old daughter.  A mother determined to see her daughter reach her full potential.  A father who adores his little girl and wants to protect her.  A loving, middle-aged couple longing for a baby.  A stormy 16 year old boy from the wrong side of town.  These are the people we intimately come to know in this heartbreaking, remarkable story about one girl in trouble.

Sara’s life was filled with books and dreams of becoming a psychologist – until she met Danny.  She loved him with all her heart.  She thought they would always be together.  But Sara got pregnant, and Danny got scared.  He ran off, and Sara’s parents had to pick up the pieces.  They agreed on an open adoption, and Sara chose George and Eva - an older couple who were warm and loving and treated Sara like family.

Everyone had the best intentions, but somehow things didn’t work out as planned.  After Baby Anne arrived, Sara continued to be part of George and Eva’s lives, but the dynamic had changed.  Eva was torn between appreciating Sara’s help and begrudging the special bond between Sara and the baby.  Sara, being young and self-absorbed, did not understand that there should be boundaries between her life and theirs.  And when Sara can’t let go, Eva and George make a drastic decision which haunts them all.

Devastated, Sara tries to get on with her life but she cannot seem to put the past behind her.  Thoughts of Anne manage to bubble to the surface no matter how much time has passed.  Can Sara, now older and wiser, ever find a way to be part of Anne’s life? And what buried secrets and missing pieces will she discover when she takes matters into her own hands?

Rare is the story that makes you feel for everyone, understand each point of view, and not really be sure who are the heroes or villains.  They all tried to do what they thought was best, but all made mistakes and had regrets.  Should parents who try to stop their children from ruining their young lives be allowed to deceive?  Should adoptive parents who are given the gift of a child be allowed to renege on promises made to a birth mother?  Do you ever truly get over your first love?  Can people make tragic mistakes and still be forgiven?  Girls In Trouble is a thought provoking, heart wrenching story that is frighteningly real.  Nice people, nice town, nice lives.  It could be about your next door neighbor; it could be about you.

About the author:  Caroline Leavitt, a columnist for The Boston Globe, is the author of seven previous novels, including Coming Back to Me.  She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey   with her husband, author Jeff Tamarkin, and their son, Max.
Girls in Trouble: A Novel