The Bright Unknown (Paperback)

This poignant and heartbreaking novel explores the power of resilience, the gift of friendship, and the divine beauty to be found in the big, bright world&mdash if only we&rsquo re willing to look.

Pennsylvania, 1940s. The only life Brighton Friedrich has ever known is the one she has endured within the dreary walls of Riverside Home&mdash the rural asylum where she was born. A nurse, Joann, has educated and raised Brighton, whose mother is a patient at the hospital. But Joann has also kept vital information from Brighton&mdash secrets that if ever revealed would illuminate Brighton&rsquo s troubling past and the circumstances that confine her to Riverside. Brighton&rsquo s best friend is a boy she calls Angel, and as they grow up together and face the bleak future that awaits them, they determine to make a daring escape.

Nothing can prepare Brighton and Angel for life beyond Riverside&rsquo s walls. They have no legal identities, very little money, and only a few leads toward a safe place to land. As they struggle to survive in a world they&rsquo ve never seen before, they must rely on each other and the kindness of strangers&mdash some of whom may prove more dangerous than the asylum they&rsquo ve fled.

Narrated in Elizabeth Byler Yount&rsquo s gorgeous style, The Bright Unknown is a sparkling search for answers, family, and a place to call home.

Praise for The Bright Unknown:

&ldquo With prose that is luminous and lyrical, The Bright Unknown is a compelling read from the first page to the last.&rdquo &mdash Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War