Additional information
by Autumn Allen (Author)
An unforgettable, heartwarming, hilarious coming-of-age story about faith, family, all kinds of love, and a Black Muslim teen pursuing an ordinary goal in an extraordinary time.
Barely one week into senior year of high school, Boston native Zakiyyah is making her 2012-2013 Get Free Plan. Step one: quit high school. (PSA: There are other ways to get to college!) Step two: live like it's Ramadan year-round. As she gets deeper into her Plan, she starts to wonder if there's someone out there who would be a good companion. To everyone's surprise, Zakiyyah decides she wants to get married. But there are some complications. Problem one: she's never met a guy she liked. Zakiyyah's family (reluctantly) and friends (eagerly) agree to support the search. Problem two: what's the secret to choosing a good life partner? Enter Musa, by way of mutual friends. With marriage in mind, Zakiyyah and Musa get to know each other, progressing from email to instant messaging to phone calls. Things are going well... thrillingly well... until tragedy strikes Boston. In a moment of heightened emotion and stress, Zakiyyah and Musa have their first major disagreement. Zakiyyah can call the whole thing off. But with or without Musa, what does it mean to live on her own terms?Author Biography
Autumn Allen is an author, editor, consultant, and educator. Her debut young adult novel, All You Have to Do, was a People Magazine must-read for fall 2023, a Black Caucus of the ALA debut honor award winner, and was long listed for the Massachusetts Book Award. Her second novel, You Only Live Twice, is a JLG Gold Standard Selection. Her forthcoming picture books, Step On Board: Sculpting a Memorial to Harriet Tubman, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, Answered Prayers, illustrated by Charly Palmer, and To Know By Heart, illustrated by Daniel Minter, celebrate Black and Muslim history and culture. Autumn is a senior editor at Barefoot Books and has taught literature, writing, and publishing to students of all ages. Visit her online at AutumnAllenBooks.com.
