My Sunshine Away

In Walsh%E2%80%99s debut, a horrible crime shatters a community in 1989 Baton Rouge, La., when teenager Lindy Simpson is raped and her attacker is never caught. The nameless narrator of this tale is an adolescent boy with a crush on Lindy. The narrator%E2%80%99s love for Lindy manifests in a desperate desire to connect with her under any circumstances, causing him to be suspected of her assault. This need to connect grows stronger after his sister dies in a freak accident and that draws him and Lindy closer together. Everything comes to a head when he tries to play the hero and expose the man he thinks was her rapist on their street. Walsh%E2%80%99s novel is both tenderly nostalgic and a window into a unique and specific corner of America. The narration moves seamlessly between the adult narrator%E2%80%99s thoughts and his memories as a teenager. Despite the dark subject matter, this book is often charming, and thoroughly immersive. Agent: Renee Zuckerbrot, the Renee Zuckerbrot Literary Agency. (Feb.)