Abandoned by her mother, Olivia Greene decides to take care of herself—if only she can keep it a secret
Life’s been strange for Olivia Greene ever since her mother, Luna Lee, went to the store for margarine and never came back. Afraid of being sent to live with her terrible uncle—or worse, his children—Olivia carries out elaborate schemes to convince the people of Kumquat that Luna Lee still lives at home. Absolutely no one can find out—except, of course, for Olivia’s best friend, Rosella.
But Olivia’s carefully constructed life threatens to fall apart with the arrival of the incredibly hot Raymond Mooney, whose family just moved back to Kumquat under mysterious circumstances. If he can tell Olivia his secrets, can’t she tell him hers? Or would that threaten the lies Olivia has so carefully woven to protect herself?
Cynthia D. Grant has published twelve young adult fiction novels since 1980. In 1991 she won the first PEN/Norma Klein Award, for “an emerging voice among American writers of children’s fiction.” Over the years, Grant has received numerous other distinctions. Unfortunately, her Massachusetts upbringing prohibits her from showing off. She lives in the mountains outside Cloverdale, California, and has one husband, Eric Neel; two sons, Morgan Heatley-Grant and Forest Neel-Grant; two cats, Kelsey, an orange tom, and Billie, a barn cat–barracuda mix; and Mike the Wonder Dog, who packs two-hundred-plus pounds of personality into a seven-pound body.