Shelli Johnson

Small as a Mustard Seed Shelli Johnson

Small as a Mustard Seed is "a real page turner, a gripping tale of a family blown apart by tragedy. Yet, ultimately, the novel is redeeming as well, told through the viewpoint of a heroine who will both break and mend your heart." (Sue William Silverman, author of Love Sick)

As the daughter of a Korean war veteran, Ann Marie learns not to trust people, including her own parents. While her father rages with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), confusing reality with soul-searing memories, her blindsided mother struggles to guard the family secrets. The relationship with her sister, Jolene, is the only beacon of light and tenderness in Ann Marie's life as their father's mental illness leaves the girls in fear for their lives. The two sisters share a seemingly unbreakable bond until tragedy rips their dysfunctional family apart. An emotional coming-of-age story, Small as a Mustard Seed, challenges us to hang onto hope even as our hearts break, to define love in new ways after the fallout, and to choose forgiveness for ourselves in the end.

An excellent choice for fans of powerful young-adult fiction from authors like Jay Asher, John Green, and Laurie Halse Anderson, Small as a Mustard Seed is "a story that will run you through an emotional marathon at a sprinter's pace. Rarely do you find a novel or a writer than can reach inside the reader to evoke such strong feelings but Small as a Mustard Seed is that one-in-a-million story. You will rarely find a story that can captivate your feelings and touch your soul like this one." (Kindle Book Review)