Paper Hearts — Debrah Williamson

From the acclaimed author of Singing With the Top Down comes a poignant tale about makeshift families and the healing power of friendship.
 
Fifteen-year-old runaway Chancy Deel arrives in the picture-perfect town of Wenonah, Oklahoma, needing a helping hand.  It's just her luck to get it -- from a cranky old man named Max Boyle, who is hardly the answer to her dreams.
 
After losing his beloved wife, Max has only his dog, Alfie, and his home of fifty years to hang on to, and now Adult Protective Services is convinced he can't manage on his own.  Max would rather end it all than resort to assisted living.  So when he finds a throwaway kid sleeping in his garage, Max seizes one last chance for both of them.  Giving Chancy a home just might prevent him from losing his.
 
In securing a place to live, these two solitary souls will discover something much rarer -- a place to belong . . . and a heart to care.
 
“Debrah Williamson creates characters who are spunky, flawed, courageous, loveable, and above all real.” -- Lisa Wingate, author of Tending Roses