Girls of Dust

Their lives couldn’t be more different – but are they?

Despite the advantages of wealth and a loving mother, fifteen-year-old Angel feels numb. She struggles to fit in at her California high school, longs for a relationship with her estranged father, and seeks something raw and authentic to make her feel alive. Desperate for relief, she turns to sex with her boyfriend and self-harm to escape her emotional pain.

Fifteen-year-old Yara and her two siblings flee their home in Syria after a bombing kills her parents, seeking safety in a refugee camp in Jordan. Although she’s grateful for the chance for a more prosperous life after being resettled in America, Yara is weighed down with the deep pain of adjusting to a new world in addition to the loss of her family and beloved homeland. 

When their worlds collide at a Los Angeles high school, the girls slowly form a friendship, finding solace in each other’s presence as they face their own demons. As they sink deeper into pain, losing themselves in the process, will their bond be enough to pull them back?

This is a coming-of-age story about family, loss, pain, love, and the universal right to live a meaningful life.

Content warnings: self-harm, suicide and attempted suicide, drug abuse, sex, mental health hospitalization, PTSD, violence, war, anxiety, foster care, death of parents.

Notes from the author: This book delves into the pain that can drive someone to cope using self-harm. I recommend that teenage readers explore this book with the support of and discussion with a trusted adult.

Ages: 15+.