Lena

Lena and her younger sister Dion feel they have no other choice but to leave their home and take to the open road. Their mother is dead, and their father has done terrible things to the girls. They know from experience that if they’re put into foster homes, they will be separated. And all they really have is each other. So the girls head out, with only a vague plan of finding their mama’s people. Life on the road is full of danger, but Lena knows to be careful of truckers and to dress like boys for their own protection. As winter closes in, will she find the courage to admit that they really have no place to go? In Lena, Jacqueline Woodson completes the poignant odyssey begun in her highly acclaimed I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This. Once again, Woodson crafts a beautiful, touching story which sensitively addresses issues of racism and child abuse. Narrator Kate Forbes’ soothing, expressive voice highlights the novel’s emotional nuances and makes the girls’ journey truly unforgettable.