A haunting coming-of-age young adult novel
It’s been more than fifty years since a tornado tore through a drive-in movie theater in tiny Mercer, Illinois, leaving dozens of teens — a whole generation of Mercerites — dead in its wake. So when another tornado touches down in the same spot on the anniversary of this small-town tragedy, the town is shaken. Brenna Ortiz, Joshua Calloway, and Callie Keller are all struggling to belong.
For Brenna, a Mexican-American goth, people have always labeled her as other, so fitting in has never really been an option. Joshua had friends growing up, but ever since the weight began piling on and he eventually came out as gay, he’s become invisible to his peers. Callie had a picture-perfect life until her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she became the girl with the sick mom.
After the night of October 7th, they all find themselves in the spot where the tornado touched down – the same spot of the old drive-in theatre, where 50 years ago, the other tornado took the lives of dozens of Mercer’s youth.
A wonderful, beautifully written, debut novel by Natalie Lund about friendship, belonging, and acceptance. We Speak In Storms follows three teens through their journey to find their place in their small town amidst prejudice, heartache, and a town full of restless spirits from a long-ago tragedy. The characters were very relatable and endearing. The living and the dead help each other find peace and their place in both life and death.
As the reader, you will feel the sadness, and the tragedy of life’s unfortunate realities, as well as the accomplishments, achieved through the process of healing and forgiveness.
I loved this book!
Though they seem to share nothing more than a struggle to belong, the teens’ paths continue to intersect, bringing them together when they least expect it, and perhaps, when they need it most. What unfolds is a heartbreaking yet hopeful story that lyrically blends past and present together. Both the living and the dead have secrets and unresolved problems, but they may be able to find peace and move forward–if only they work together.
A beautifully told, haunting yet hopeful novel about pushing past the pain, facing the world, and finding yourself.
About the Author
Natalie Lund (natalielund.com) is a former middle and high school teacher. A graduate of Purdue University’s MFA program, she taught introductory composition and creative writing there and also served as the fiction editor of The Sycamore Review. Natalie lives in Chicago with her husband. You can follow her on Twitter @nmlund.
