THIS RAGING LIGHT
For fans of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell comes a gorgeous debut novel about family, friends, and first love.
Lucille Bennett is pushed into adulthood after her mom decides to “take a break”…from parenting, from responsibility, from Lucille and her little sister, Wren. Left to cover for her absentee parents, Lucille thinks, “Wren and Lucille. Lucille and Wren. I will do whatever I have to. No one will pull us apart.”
Now is not the time for level-headed Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones,
For fans of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell comes a gorgeous debut novel about family, friends, and first love.
Lucille Bennett is pushed into adulthood after her mom decides to “take a break”…from parenting, from responsibility, from Lucille and her little sister, Wren. Left to cover for her absentee parents, Lucille thinks, “Wren and Lucille. Lucille and Wren. I will do whatever I have to. No one will pull us apart.”
Now is not the time for level-headed Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.
- HMH Books for Young Readers
- Hardcover
- December 2015
- 288 Pages
- 9780544534292
Buy the Book
$17.99
About Estelle Laure
Estelle Laure believes in love, magic, and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and she lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her family. Her work is translated widely around the world.
Praise
“This Raging Light is a funny, heartwrenching, and soulful read as Lucille develops her own personal family, bloodline or not. It’s not one you’ll soon forget.” —Bustle
“This Raging Light is a funny, poetic, big-hearted reminder that life can—and will—take us all by surprise sometimes.” —Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
“With This Raging Light, Estelle Laure establishes herself as a literary heavyweight. Laure’s characters mimic her writing, at once visceral and brave, unafraid to confront love in its every facet—surprising, surpassing, flawed. This book is a thick quilt in a cold room, and I want to wrap myself in it.” —David Arnold, author of Mosquitoland
“Estelle Laure’s This Raging Light might be YA, but it’s got plenty of grown-up appeal.”—entertainmentweekly.com
Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to be a teenager like Lucille, forced to take on adult responsibilities as she’s coming into her own?
2. How do Lucille’s parents’ actions affect Lucille and Wren? Beyond the obvious negative effects, is there anything positive that comes from their circumstances?
3. Lucille’s job at Fred’s is more than just a paycheck to Lucille. What does she gain from her experience at her job?
4. At one point in the novel, Lucille asks the question: “Who is this boy I’ve known for most of always, and why is he everything?” Why is Digby so important to Lucille at this stage in her life?
5. How does Wren cope in the absence of a mother in this story?
6. How do you feel about Lucille’s actions in pursuing Digby in the novel?
7. What was your response to Digby’s infidelity?
8. How would you describe Lucille’s voice in the story? Did you find the first person present tense effective?
9. Discuss the role of Lucille and Wren’s neighbors in the second half of the story. How did Lucille’s response to their actions differ from Wren’s?
10. Eden doesn’t support Lucille’s crush on Digby. Why is that?
11. Lucille is a victim of circumstances outside of her control. How does she take control of her destiny by the end of the novel?