If Only

In Carole Geithner's novel If Only, thirteen-year-old Corinna faces a year of upheaval after her mother's death from cancer. Set in Maryland, the story follows her as she moves from eighth grade into ninth, confronting the everyday pressures of school, shifting friendships, and a household transformed by loss. While wrestling with grief, Corinna searches for ways to keep her mother's memory alive and to find stability in a world that feels uncertain. The book offers a candid look at how a teenager copes with profound change and learns to rebuild.