What We Left Behind (Original)
Robin Talley
(Author)
Description
From the critically acclaimed author of Lies We Tell Ourselves comes an emotional, empowering story of what happens when love may not be enough to conquer all Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. They've been together forever. They never fight. They're deeply, hopelessly in love. When they separate for their first year at college--Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU--they're sure they'll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, theirs is bound to stay rock-solid. The reality of being apart, though, is very different than they expected. Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, meets a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing, but Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship. While Toni worries that Gretchen won't understand Toni's new world, Gretchen begins to wonder where she fits in this puzzle. As distance and Toni's shifting gender identity begin to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide--have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?Product Details
Price
$18.99
Publisher
Harlequin Teen
Publish Date
October 27, 2015
Pages
416
Dimensions
5.6 X 8.3 X 1.4 inches | 1.1 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780373211753
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Robin Talley studied literature and communications at American University. She lives in Washington, DC, with her wife, but visits both Boston and New York regularly despite her moral opposition to Massachusetts winters and Times Square. Her first book was 2014's Lies We Tell Ourselves. Visit her online at robintalley.com or on Twitter at @robin_talley.
Reviews
"Talley continues to tackle tough issues with unvarnished honesty. While Toni's awareness takes flight, Gretchen's confusion about the nature of their relationship (are they lesbians anymore?) and fears of saying the wrong thing steadies the narrative and resonates as well-intentioned and sympathetic." -Booklist "Characterization is poignant and razor-sharp... Emotionally astute." -Kirkus "With vividly drawn characters and killer prose, this is Robin Talley's writing at its best. I couldn't put it down. What We Left Behind perfectly portrays the tumultuous and scary (but exciting!) time transitioning between high school and college, when teens begin to find out who they really are." -Miranda Kenneally, bestselling author of Catching Jordan "What We Left Behind is a honest and searing love story, impressively complex and nuanced in its examination of the evolution of a long-distance relationship. A lot of words will be used to describe Robin Talley's follow-up to the acclaimed Lies We Tell Ourselves: Important. Brave. Necessary. They will all be true, and everyone should read this book." -I.W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above "Robin Talley beautifully captures the feeling of falling in love, falling apart, and finding your truth in this powerful novel. Toni and Gretchen's journey will make readers feel all the feels. An important read about strength, self, and discovery." -Tess Sharpe, author of Far From You "This title is a must-read for high school Gay Straight Alliance members...Toni's genderqueer identity contributes a fresh perspective to LGBTQ fiction. Recommended for all collections." -School Library Journal, starred review
