Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson 118 pages

This is the final book in the Heaven Trilogy written by three time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Short but lyrically written story of a young girl who leaves home to live with Curtis in a spare cabin in the woods. He is older than her and has returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Unable to fit in at home, she finds peace with quiet Curtis until he is called up to return to war. Spare prose highlights the effects of war on this small community. The tone is bittersweet. Sweet finds strength through her friends, rather than traditional family members.