Gem & Dixie

Seventeen-year-old Gem and her younger sister Dixie have had a difficult life: their parents’ unfulfilled dreams lead to poverty, addiction issues, and their father taking off, and Gem had to step in and be the adult to Dixie and her mother. When their father returns unexpectedly Gem can no longer bear the family burden, realizes that she isn’t responsible for her parents’ issues, and that she must get away to survive. This engaging novel deals with issues of sibling rivalry and conflict, dysfunctional families, and addiction, and is suitable as a classroom novel, literature circle choice, or an independent novel selection for grades 9-11.