At The Center - Softcover

Van Soest, Dorothy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1627200630 ISBN 13: 9781627200639

Publisher: Apprentice House, 2015

Synopsis

When seven-year-old Anthony Little Eagle is found dead on the concrete patio beneath the balcony of a foster home, police and child welfare officials determine that it was a tragic accident. Sylvia Jensen, the foster care supervisor, comes to suspect that the boy's death may have involved foul play and she is launched on a journey to find the truth no matter what the cost. She forms an unlikely alliance with J.B. Harrell, an investigative reporter, to search for the killer, defying her superiors and risking her career-even her own life-to ensure that justice is done. In the process both Sylvia and J.B. are forced to face their own pasts and learn to live with them. At The Center is about the danger of secrets, the power of belonging and how much bravery it takes to finally close the distance between who we pretend to be and who we really are.

About this title

About the Author:

Dorothy Van Soest's academic credentials include a B.A. in English Literature and Master's and PhD degrees in Social Work. She is Professor Emerita and former dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has published ten books, including her debut novel, Just Mercy (2014), and over 50 journal articles, essays and book chapters. At the Center is the first of her Sylvia Jensen mystery series.

Review:

A provocative, thoughtful, and entertaining story about crucial social issues and believable, realistic situations. --Kirkus Review

At the Center combines Van Soest's depiction of a world that she, as a social worker and professor, is intimately familiar with, and all the ingredients of an exciting mystery novel. --Readers Favorite Five Star Review

The fast-moving plot and sharply drawn political and moral conflicts grabbed me by the heart and dragged me through to its surprising conclusion--Shawn Lawrence Otto, award-winning author Sins of Our Fathers

Raises our hackles, breaks our hearts and has us cheering for a flawed heroine whose search for hope & justice crisscrosses five generations--Hal Zina Bennett, bestselling author Write From the Heart

Engaging read that had me guessing until the end. A complex and emotionally charged story that honors real lives of people touched and sometimes mauled by the child welfare system--Terry Cross, Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association

You will not want to set this book down until you have read it to the end--Roy I. Rochon Wilson, Honorary Chief & Spiritual Leader, Cowlitz Indian Tribe

Completely engages you as it weaves and resolves a set of facts and intertwining stories-Janis Avery, CEO, Treehouse

A page-turner--Pamela Lowell, LICSW, Author, Returnable Girl & Spotting for Nellie

As a social worker this was a heartbreaking read. As an avid fan of mysteries, I could not put the book down.--Yvonne Chase, PhD, LCSW, University of Alaska

. . brings to life characters that have depth, compassion, human failings and values, in a masterful way.--Uma Ahluwalia, Child Welfare Professional

A compelling and multi-layered page-turner . entertains and enlightens in often-tragic ways--Robin DiAngelo, author, What Does it Mean to Be White: Developing White Racial Literacy

Provides valuable insights into American Indian child welfare (ICWA) practice . . will get you thinking--Priscilla Day, Chair & Director, Center for Regional & Tribal Child Welfare Studies, Anne Tellett, University of Minnesota Duluth

A must read for child welfare practitioners, students, educators, and anyone interested in a powerful story of family relationships-Ruth McRoy, Professor, Boston College

A convincing portrait of the vagaries of large bureaucracies and the individuals in those systems given the responsibility to address society's ills. . weaving throughout the sad tale of Anthony Little Eagle is a parallel story set in the 1970s involving another Indian boy in a taut mystery that should have the reader cheering for the unlikely pairing of social worker Sylvia and investigative reporter J.B. in their determined search for Justice.  Joe Martin, Real Change Newspaper

About this edition

• Publisher: Apprentice House
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1627200630
• ISBN 13: 9781627200639
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 322