Little 15 - Paperback

by Christina Frey (Editor), Stephanie Saye (Author)

The shards of glass are swept up. The blood and eggs are scrubbed from the linoleum. And by 8 a.m., Lauren Muchmore is calmly sitting in geometry class as if her world hadn't come crashing down only an hour before.

In the Muchmore household, to exist is a calculated game of survival. One wrong word or utterance could set her father off. It's a scary normal where submission is a requirement, bruises are masked by makeup, and the unspoken expectation is to pretend that nothing happened.

Her only sanctuary is the basketball court at Saint Agnes. But even there, her father's rage follows her, his voice cutting through the crowd from the sidelines. It's only when her charismatic coach finally puts her father in his place that Lauren feels a rare sense of peace. In his protection, she finds solace and a rare acceptance. But then her coach's lingering touch turns into something more. In the blur of his attention and her own isolation, Lauren is pulled into an entanglement that feels like love but will change the course of her life forever.

When the truth of the relationship surfaces, the sanctuary of Saint Agnes becomes a courtroom of secrets. To protect the reputation of both the family and the school, a school official convinces Lauren's parents that the only way forward is through silence. Behind closed doors, a deal is struck-a cold-blooded trade to ensure the truth never leaves campus grounds.

Now, Lauren is forced to carry an unbearable weight alone, navigating a web of religious coercion where saving face is more important than saving a soul.

Little 15 is a visceral look at the anatomy of a secret and the price of institutional betrayal. It is the story of a girl in pieces, abandoned by the people meant to protect her, left to navigate the aftermath alone-until the truth breaks wide open.

Author Biography

Like Little 15's Lauren Muchmore, Stephanie played varsity basketball for an all-girls Catholic high school-and she really did get policed by nuns on the way to class. Stephanie has since traded in her Nike high-tops for Brooks running shoes (and her corporate career for the life of a novelist and screenwriter). She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons. Connect with her at stephaniesaye.com