The Seventh Mother

A young girl searches for a mother's love amid unfolding secrets, in this riveting and emotionally complex novel from acclaimed author Sherri Wood Emmons. The summer that her father falls in love with Emma, Jenny Bohner is just turning eleven. Jenny was three when her mother died, and since then Brannon Bohner has traveled with his daughter from one seasonal job to another, picking up girlfriends along the way. Cara, Ami, Trish--all were sweet and kind, but none ever stayed for long. Somehow Emma is different, traveling with them from Idaho to Kentucky, filling Jenny with hopes of a real family at last. Emma's warmth and optimism are contagious, defusing Brannon's flashes of temper and making their first weeks together everything Jenny has dreamed of. Yet something still troubles her, surfacing through years of memories--tempting her from within boxes Jenny has been told never to touch, filled with hidden mementoes from long ago. And somewhere among them Jenny will find answers that compel her to choose--between the home she longs for, the love she craves, and the hard truth she can no longer ignore. . . Praise for the novels of Sherri Wood Emmons The Weight of Small Things

"Emmons writes beautifully about women, friendship and choices, and engagingly chronicles the long friendship that becomes a mutual lifeline." --The Sunday Star Ledger The Sometimes Daughter

"Emmons has a keen grasp of the difficulties of mother-daughter dynamics. . .an intimate story." --Publishers Weekly "Teens who appreciated Lauren Myracle's Bliss or autobiographies by Augusten Burroughs and Jeannette Walls of dysfunctional family survivors should also enjoy this novel." -School Library Journal Prayers and Lies

"A rich story of the triumph of love and decency." -Sandra Dallas, author of Prayers for Sale "A strong debut. . .Emmons has a rich voice that pairs well with the earthy setting. . .and the characters are wonderfully drawn." -Publishers Weekly "Surely Sherri Wood Emmons is the freshest new voice I've read in a long while. Read Prayers and Lies, and hold on tight You are in for an unforgettable literary ride " --Ann Hood, author of The Red Thread