Carrying Mason

“Gently, deliberately paced. Luna’s first-person tale provides a fresh look at mental disabilities and the additional burden of negative attitudes. . . A quiet coming-of-age tale with heart . . .” - Kirkus

“Delivers a positive message about standing up for those who cannot advocate for

themselves.” - Booklist

What does it mean to lay down your life?

Luna has learned a lot in her thirteen years―how to skin a rabbit, how to gut a fish, where to pick the perfect wildflowers―but it’s not enough. When her best friend, Mason, dies, Luna leaves her large family and moves in with Mason’s mentally disabled mother, Ruby Day. Caring for her takes a bit more leaning and a lot more patience, but eventually they come to a backwards parenting relationship, working out the glitches and growing closer day by day, as they help one another grieve for Mason. Until the arrival of a conniving aunt who wants Ruby locked away in a mental institution. How can a thirteen-year-old girl stand up to Ruby Day’s aunt? What would Mason want her to do? And why is saying good-bye so difficult?