A Deep Dark Secret: A Groundbreaking Coming-of-Age Story of Family Trauma and Hope

With sensitivity and grace, New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby addresses a very real and serious issue in an inspiring tale of one family’s mission to shed light into the darkest corner of their lives.

On the outside, twelve-year-old Jillian Maxwell is the perfect child—astraight-A student, helpful and cooperative, never getting into trouble. She seems to have everything a girl could want: a big, beautiful new home, an adoring little sister, a mother who cares about her, and an attentive stepfather.

But inside, Jillian harbors a terrible secret.

Too frightened to tell, convinced that her friends and loved ones, especially her mother, won’t understand—and worse, will blame her—Jillian endures her pain in silence. When her dilemma only intensifies with time, the bright, hardworking girl turns sullen, becoming increasingly disinterested in her studies. But on theverge of losing everything, Jillian will discover she has more strength than she ever imagined . . . and the power to change her fate.