renata f. barcelos

Ever since her mother left Camille in Uncle Bob’s care with a short note, she has been a young girl stuck in the past.

His house is a throwback world where the rules are rigorous. For 8 years, dresses that never made it into the 21st century, Mama Cass' songs and reruns of I Love Lucy and other old TV shows were her only comfort, and Uncle Bob her only companion. Convinced by his claims of love and protection, she learned to love and accept this sheltered life, letting him become her whole world.

Now a teenager, her desires to leave the house and be free are long gone. But life's changing again; Camille finally goes to public school. Facing brutal bullying and feelings of inadequacy, the only bit of hope is a thirteen-year-old girl who apparently enjoys her company and doesn't look down on her clothes, her hair, her black skin; Ashley. Despite her fears, Camille starts a friendship. But Ashley goes missing, and the guilt of perhaps knowing what happened is unbearable.

She has suspicions that Uncle Bob may not be the perfect man she once thought. After eight years of seclusion, she’ll have to rethink everything and maybe find help. Finally allowing herself to think about her mother again, somehow she will have to find the strength to do the right thing.

She’ll learn that growing up can change everything…