Hello, Goodbye: A Novel

by Kate Stollenwerck

Overview

Fifteen-year-old Hailey Rogers is sure her summer is ruined when her parents tell her she has to spend a few days a week, every week, helping her grandmother, Gigi. Although Gigi only lives across town, Hailey never sees her and knows little about her. But Gigi is full of surprises—and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey’s ruined summer might just be the best of her life.

Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey’s life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. In a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide—and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684631452
Publisher:	SparkPress
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	12 - 14 Years

About the Author

Kate Stollenwerck is an attorney turned author. A fifth-generation Texan, she graduated from Northwestern Universityand the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. She now lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with her husband, three children, and a crazy cat.

Editorial Reviews

06/06/2022

Stollenwerck’s heartfelt debut follows 15-year-old Hailey Rogers’s evolving relationship with her enigmatic grandmother. Jewish Texan Hailey isn’t thrilled when her parents make her spend summer vacation helping her maternal grandmother, Gigi—with whom they aren’t close—around the house. But rather than organizing closets, 74-year-old Gigi introduces Hailey to The Great Gatsby and the Beatles, and Hailey finds that the two get along remarkably well despite their previous estrangement. Gigi also regales Hailey with stories about their family’s Jewish ancestry, such as her great grandfather Jack, an American GI who met her great grandmother Ilse in Germany following her liberation from Dachau. Eager to learn more about their family’s legacy, the duo take road trips across rural Texas in Gigi’s convertible, Betty. Upon Gigi’s sudden death, Hailey is shocked when her mother insists that Gigi’s stories were lies, and Hailey—aided by new friend Blake and a peculiar map that Jack gifted to Gigi—endeavors to uncover more about their family’s past. Overwrought dialogue occasionally interrupts the otherwise breezy text, but Stollenwerck utilizes accessible language, tender intergenerational bonds, and a steady pace to thoughtfully unfurl one teen’s family history. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Utner, Utner Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

2022 Writers' League of Texas Discovery Prize winner for Middle Grade/Young Adult fiction
2022 Florida Book Awards Gold Medal Winner in Young Adult

“Well-written and engaging, this story has an authentic voice. . .”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Stollenwerck’s heartfelt debut . . . utilizes accessible language, tender intergenerational bonds, and a steady pace to thoughtfully unfurl one teen’s family history.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This coming of age book has a little something for everyone: romance, mystery, history, family relationships and most important, the power of love.”
—Youth Services Book Review, Starred review

“Hello, Goodbye is a moving, heartfelt story about life-altering family secrets, confronting the past, and the healing power of human connection. This story will stay in your heart long after the last page.”
—Robin Reul, author of Where the Road Leads Us and My Kind of Crazy

“Hello, Goodbye is one utterly compelling ‘sweet ride.’ In this wise and engaging debut, Stollenwerck deftly weaves together a coming-of-age story with themes of love, loss, the joy of music, and the downstream weight of long-held family secrets. Most of all, Hello, Goodbye will leave you yearning for a Gigi of your own.”
—Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman, coauthors of Girls with Bright Futures

“You will fall in love with smart and spunky Hailey Rogers and her unusual coming-of-age story, its beautiful kaleidoscope of colorful characters and history. Stollenwerck surprises you at every turn of the page and, with a soft touch, teaches a new generation what we must never forget.”
—Leora Krygier, author of Do Not Disclose

“This heartwarming coming-of-age story of a teen girl reconnecting with her estranged grandmother is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and adventure, making this book a sure bet for fans of Sarah Dessen and Kasie West. A pitch-perfect debut that hits all the heartstrings!”
—Rektok Ross, author of Ski Weekend

From the Publisher