Words and Their Meanings

Anna O’Mally is a born writer—gifted, perceptive, headed for the stars. Or she was, until the tragic death of her uncle Joe. He was barely older than Anna herself, and she worshipped the ground he walked on. Best of all, Anna got to live in the glow of knowing that she was the most important person in his world, too. Anna has promised everyone—her shrink, her parents, her best friend—that Joe’s one-year “deadaversary” will be the end of her period of mourning. But when a strange note suggests that her saintly uncle had deep secrets, Anna stumbles into a chain of events that changes everything she thought she knew about the past, the possibilities of love . . . and origami.

2015 IPPY Gold medal winner in Young Adult Ficiton

2014 ForeWord IndieFab Honorable Mention for Young Adult Fiction

“Bassett’s debut novel scores a hat-trick of literary merit in a strongly crafted and complex plot, deeply drawn characters with palpable grief, and beautifully woven and rich prose.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

"A contemplative look at redemption and relationships for readers with more literary tastes."—Kirkus

"The right readers will turn themselves inside out following Anna's raw grief."—Booklist