Book excerpt: Athena Brkovich believes in true love. Born into a blue collar family in 1968, young Athena and her sisters are sent away when their mother is hospitalized and their father is unable to care for them. The beginnings of trauma, separation, denial and suffering set Athena on her path. Brilliant, but naive, Athena refuses to grow up and become part of an adult world she doesn’t trust. But as time unfolds, the guilt that swirls around her beloved sister Lejla, and the blossoming desire for her soulmate Niko, plunge Athena into confusion. When circumstances bring them all together in high school, betrayal threatens to engulf Athena in shame and hatred. No matter how many walls Athena builds to escape her painful past, she must confront the person she is becoming in a society where only the strong survive. Compelling, and at times tragic, Book 1 explores the themes of childhood trauma, family conflict, alcoholism, and teenage love. Despite the darkness, Athena struggles to follow the little light inside herself, guiding her to forgiveness, peace, redemption, and the ultimate prize, love.