Books like Prayers and lies by Sherri Wood Emmons
When seven‑year‑old Bethany first encounters her six‑year‑old cousin Reana Mae on a yearly family visit to West Virginia’s Coal River Valley, they instantly form a friendship that keeps both children from feeling the sharp loneliness of their rural lives.
As Bethany matures, the small, close‑knit community that surrounds her begins to crumble when long‑kept secrets are revealed. The novel follows their coming‑of‑age journey, the resilience of familial bonds, and the heavy cost of secrecy amid poverty and hardship.
First publish date: 2011
Genre: Coming of Age/Childhood Coming of Age
Authors: Sherri Wood Emmons
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