Learning to Fall

A YA debut about found family and queer awakening, set in the lively world of roller derby, perfect for fans of Whip It and Heartstopper.

Eighteen-year-old Casey feels stuck; while her friends are all going to university, she's taking a gap year at home to care for her disabled mother. Then she walks in on her boyfriend blatantly cheating on her. Surprisingly, though, she's not as heartbroken as she thinks she should be. And when a chance encounter with the young woman in question, the very pretty and confident Imogen, includes both an apology and a tentative extension of friendship, Casey realizes her life may be about to change.

Imogen convinces Casey to tag along to a roller derby bout, and there Casey finds herself surrounded by fearless women and nonbinary teammates who aren't afraid to speak their minds --and body slam each other. Her friends and family aren't so sure about all the injuries, but she doesn't care; there's something magic about this game and this team. Plus, she soon finds herself nursing a serious crush on her magnetic new friend. Can Casey become a brand-new, stronger, more confident version of herself? And will dating a teammate lead to a winning season, or total heartbreak?

Peach Morris (they/them) is a queer, disabled writer living in Bristol, UK. Peach has been skating and officiating since 2011 for various roller derby teams, and co-founded and coached the B-Town Brawlers from 2014-2018. They were the writer in residence at Trans Pride Brighton 2018, and had a short story, "Pivot," published in For Book's Sake's Derby Shorts. Learning to Fall is their first novel.