When You Were Here - Hardcover

Whitney, Daisy

3.82

3,697 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316209740 ISBN 13: 9780316209748

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013

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Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

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About the Author:

Daisy Whitney reports on television, media and advertising for a range of news outlets. She graduated from Brown University and lives in San Francisco, California, with her fabulous husband, fantastic kids, and adorable dogs. Daisy believes in karma and that nearly every outfit is improved with a splash of color. She is the author of The Mockingbirds novels and Starry Nights. Daisy invites you to follow her online at DaisyWhitney.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 9 Up–Eighteen-year-old Danny has lost everyone important in his life: his father died six years ago, his older sister is estranged, his girlfriend pulled away with no explanation, and his mother succumbed to cancer only two months before his high school graduation. While fighting off grief through prescription drug abuse, Danny receives a letter from Kana, the daughter of the manager who oversees his family's Tokyo apartment, inexplicably conveying that his mother was happy there in her last months. His mother, who wanted to share a lifetime of memories with her son, went to Japan in search of healing, and Danny follows in search of answers: How could she find joy in the face of imminent death? Can he find that same peace? Quirky fashionista Kana becomes his friend and guide as he rediscovers Tokyo and grapples with his losses. Though Kana's English-language ability seems conveniently advanced for the sake of the plot, her endearingly forthright character sparkles on the pages. Danny's rough language, vulnerability, and raw anger paint a vivid portrait of a young man in desperate need of comfort and stability. Readers will root for him as he strives to find meaning in the way his mother lived and died. Against a backdrop of Tokyo's bright lights, trendy crepe stands, and ancient temples, Danny's journey to healing is heartbreaking, hopeful, and full of luminescent beauty. This gem of a book will lead readers to ponder life, love, death, and everything in between.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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