Lila and Hadley

March 2, 2020
When her mother lands in prison, 12-
year-old Hadley moves from Tennessee to stay with her estranged sister, Beth, in a Kentucky suburb. She’s also navigating worsening eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa, and the frustrations layer into sadness and anger—Hadley avoids speaking to her mom, lashes out at Beth, and refuses to take mobility classes as her condition advances. When Lila, a depressed pit bull at the rescue where Beth works as a trainer, takes to Hadley, the sisters are tasked with fostering Lila—socializing her so she can be adopted. Spending time with Lila pushes Hadley to make some changes in her own life, accepting the hard things she faces and the love being offered. Like Hadley, Keplinger (That’s Not What Happened) is legally blind, and details, such as a passage about using a cane, lend the story authenticity. Hadley’s anger at her situation and changing ability is sensitively wrought, and her growth is organic and true in this touching story of acceptance, forgiveness, and interspecies friendship. Ages 8–12. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.