Piecing Me Together is the story of Jade, a young girl who is trying to find her voice as she learns to navigate the world. Jade lives with her mom and her uncle in a poor neighbourhood in Portland, but she goes to private school a few neighbourhoods away. She attends this school on a scholarship which sets her apart from the other students at the school. When Jade is there, she often hears stories of opportunities her peers have that she doesn't. But, when she is asked to participate in a new mentorship program called Woman to Woman, she isn't convinced she wants to join. Jade is tired of being made to feel like something is wrong with her, that she needs help and needs to be fixed. However, girls in this program also have the opportunity for a scholarship to college, which is impossible to pass up on.
As Jade navigates the different worlds she lives in, she feels different pressures from her mom, her uncle, her best friend from her previous school, her new friend and her mentor. Jade is learning to speak up and speak out in order to share her thoughts, ideas and feelings.
The women in this story are real women- they are not perfect, but along the way, they speak to Jade and help her figure out how she wants to operate in her world and how she needs to fight for the opportunities she is looking for. One of my favourite characters in this story is Jade's mentor Maxine. Jade thinks Maxine as her mentor should have all of the answers, but what Jade comes to learn is that everyone is trying to figure out how to make their voices heard- no matter what age they are.
I think the girls at school are going to love reading Jade's story, she will stay with me for a while I think.
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