Book description
When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a
figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled,
including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage
point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what
she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.
When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart
transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance
at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different-dreaming
about figure skating, craving grape candy-her need to learn about her
donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan's life, meeting her
grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to
move on.
Told in alternating viewpoints, In a Heartbeat tells the
emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.
Ellsworth's story shows just how easily poor communication with
adults can sidetrack and endanger teens, and how clear talk and caring
can rescue them. Suggest this as a follow-up to Lee's classic novel.
Loretta Ellsworth is the author of two novels for young
readers, both published by Henry Holt. THE SHROUDING WOMAN was named
to the 2003 Amelia Bloomer Project List, was a CCBC Choice, and a 2005
Rebecca Caudill Nominee. IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD was nominated for
Best Books for Young Adults, Teen s Top Ten, was a Midwest Bookseller
s spring/summer pick, and won the 2007 Midwest Bookseller s Choice
Award Honor Book for Children s Literature. It was also picked up by
the Book-of-the-Month Club, was named to the 2008-09 Tayshas Texas
List, is on the 2008 New York Library List of Teenage Books and is a
2008 Notable Children s Book in Language Arts.
