Then Comes July

The stunningly told and illustrated story of Vanessa, a Korean-American kid from a family that struggles with poverty and violence, who triumphs with the power of sisterhood and determination.

Vanessa tries to compete on the track team, but despite her skill at running she can’t keep up with kids who have new shoes and family support. Then she comes home one day and witnesses their dad striking her younger sister. Vanessa grabs Abby and flees, seeking out their oldest sister who had escaped the danger many years before. Without a plan or money, the two get medical attention with the help of two kind strangers, sleep in the bathroom of a 7-Eleven, and ride the buses, invisible. Filled with risk and raw emotion, this is a story of desperate bravery and the sometimes fraught but always unbreakable bond between siblings.