The Way a Door Closes

Written by Hope Anita Smith · Illustrated by Shane W. Evans

A young man grapples with his father's departure, seeking strength to heal and rebuild his family.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 171 ratings

64 pages

$10.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old CJ faces the harsh reality of his father's sudden departure, leaving him to navigate the pain and uncertainty that follows. As his best friend Preacher philosophizes about the fleeting nature of fatherhood, CJ must find the resilience to hold his family together. Through his poignant reflections, CJ embarks on a journey of healing, confronting the closed doors of his past and discovering the courage to open new ones. Will he find the strength to mend the fractures left behind, or will the weight of loss prove too heavy to bear?

From the publisher

Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award WinnerIn this beautifully written and powerfully moving novel in poems, Hope Anita Smith tells the story of a young man’s struggle to accept a father who has walked out on his family. My best friend, Preacher, is being just that. His sermon today is on fathers and I am his congregation.Dads are light. They have no roots.One strong wind, and they’re gone.Out of here. History. With a click, a bang, a whisper–or no noise at all. There are so many ways that a door can close, but it’s not just the closing; it’s the knowing. And thirteen-year-old CJ knows too much–about losing his father, about his family’s pain, and especially about what it means to hold things together when times are the toughest. Here, in CJ’s words, is a portrait of hurt and healing, and finding the strength to open the door again. The Way a Door Closes is the winner of the 2004 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award and the 2004 Bank Street - Claudia Lewis Award and is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children’s Book of the Year.