Behind These Hands
Description
"My hands aren't the same hands
as before.
Even my friends feel different."
Claire Fairchild, 14, has always known music would be her life. So when she has the opportunity to enter a prestigious contest, she goes all in—until she realizes she’s also competing against Juan, a close childhood friend and one of the most talented musicians she knows. It doesn’t help that her thoughts about him are turning romantic.
When Claire and her family receive a devastating blow from Batten disease, her world enters a tailspin. Claire decides her musical goals no longer seem relevant. She can’t reconcile the joy that music would bring to her life while her brothers succumb to an early and ugly death. Her decision puts everything at risk: her friendship with Juan, her parents’ expectations, and her own happiness.
After Claire accompanies a friend on a school newspaper assignment, she meets a centenarian with a unique musical past and only one regret in life. Claire knows something in her life has to change before it’s too late, but she’s not sure she has the courage to take the next step.
Praise for Behind These Hands
"In Behind These Hands, Linda Vigen Phillips’s lyrical language paints a vivid picture of a world colored by a crushing disease. My sister was born with Batten disease, and this story’s emotionally charged moments bear an uncanny resemblance to scenes from my own life. Whether or not you’ve heard of Batten disease, read this book. You’ll discover, along with Phillips’s teenage heroine, how to face the prospect of losing someone you love and still face the day." —Laura King Edwards, author, speaker, and co-founder of Taylor’s Tale, the world’s leading charity focused on eradicating infantile Batten disease
“A beautiful story! Lyrical and poignant. Emotional and heart-grabbing. The love we feel for family and the complications it can bring are all over every page. You’ll have a hard time putting down this novel in verse.” —Skila Brown, author, Caminar