colleen gareau

Described as Middlesex meets Where the Heart Is, Kirkus Reviews says Sam(uel) is " "a compelling story about self-acceptance, new beginnings and unconditional love."

Lizzie is seventeen, pregnant and on the run from a violent father, a defeated mother and an abusive boyfriend when she meets Sam, a trans-gendered sex worker, who offers her refuge. Emotions collide as their feelings for each other grow and they struggle with their conceptions of their own sexuality including Sam's long struggle to live as a straight female. When crisis strikes, Lizzie must find it within herself to save Sam before it's too late.

Kirkus Reviews: "The book traces Lizzie and Sam’s budding relationship and explores both of the characters’ feelings about gender and attraction. It also details their respective attempts to tackle their own demons so that they may live independent, successful and flourishing lives. Gareau’s intriguing novel explores some timely, substantial themes, including how the world views and treats transgender people and also how transgender people view and treat themselves. Along the way, it engagingly addresses a range of other issues, including addiction and homelessness. The author also does a particularly good job of illuminating the effects that abuse can have on relationships, both familial and romantic."