Middle-grade author responds to queer-themed book controversy
I didn’t set out to write a controversial book.
I still don’t think I wrote a controversial book. P.S. I Miss You tells the story of 12-year-old Evie, whose older sister Cilla leaves home to stay with her great-aunt after getting pregnant in high school — and after months of fighting with her devoutly Catholic parents. After Cilla leaves, Evie copes by writing letters. She writes about how hard seventh grade is. She writes about drifting apart from her best friends. She writes about June, the new girl in school, the one who’s funny and silly and pretty. She writes, in letters, the thoughts she can’t say out loud — that Evie is developing a crush on June.
That Evie might be a lesbian.
That Evie might disappoint her religious parents, too.P.S. I Miss You, a middle grade novel which didn’t get to have a proper book tour because schools turned it away for having queer content, is coming out on March 6th! Consider preordering to show there’s a market for LGBTQ middle grade books!