Me & Emma - by Elizabeth Flock (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Narrated with simplicity and unabashed honesty, Elizabeth Flock's critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling novel Me & Emma is a vivid portrayal of a child's indomitable spirit, her incredible courage and the heartbreaking loss of innocence

In many ways, Carrie Parker is like any other eight-year-old--playing make-believe, going to school, dreaming of faraway places. But even in her imagination, she can't pretend away the hardships of her impoverished North Carolina home or protect her younger sister, Emma.

As the big sister, Carrie is determined to do anything to keep Emma safe from a life of neglect and abuse at the hands of their drunken stepfather, Richard--abuse their momma can't seem to see, let alone stop.

But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, Carrie's world takes a shocking turn--and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.

Review Quotes

Deftly capturing the hidden thoughts of an emotionally bereft child, Flock's haunting second novel, reminiscent of Kaye Gibbons' Ellen Foster, is not soon forgotten." -Booklist

"Flock captures Carrie's powerlessness and resourcefulness beautifully...tremendously touching."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Flock's deceptively simple prose belies not only a seriousness in subject matter but also clever subtleties in the plot.... Suffice it to say, you won't soon forget Carrie Parker and her little sister, Emma."
-Bookreporter

"Beautifully written, this is a must-read."
-Closer

"A deeply moving, tragic story... This is an amazing title...keeps you more than hooked. We urge you to read it-you won't be disappointed!"
-OK! magazine

"Everything crescendos in a way that (like all good thrillers) immediately makes you want to go back and read the whole book again from the start."
-Victoria Griffith, Amazon.com

"Me & Emma is a triumph...a remarkable story."
-Kathleen DeMarco

"Me & Emma is really two stories in one: the page-turning events and how the reader reacts emotionally as he or she colors in the picture. I personally questioned how such young children could manage to survive this string of horrors unscathed. It is a tribute to Flock's literary talent that she answers that silent question with her unexpected ending and without compromising the book's complexity or tenor."
-Julie Sturgeon, Pages