What We Keep Is Not Always What Will Stay

The Boston Globe named What We Keep is not Always What Will Stay a 2011 Best Book for Children

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books named What We Keep is not Always What Will Stayto their 2011 Blue Ribbons list

Angie never used to think much about God—until things started getting strange. Like the statue of St. Felix, her secret confidant, suddenly coming off his pedestal and talking to her. And Jesse Francis, sent home from Afghanistan at age nineteen with his leg blown off. Now he's expected to finish high school and fit right back in. Is God even paying attention to this?

Against the advice of St. Felix (who knows a thing or two about war), Angie falls for Jesse—who's a lot deeper than most high school guys. But Jesse is battling some major demons. As his behavior starts to become unpredictable, and even dangerous, Angie finds herself losing control of the situation. And she's starting to wonder . . . can one person ever make things right for someone else?

Praise:

"An utterly engaging narrative with a witty and thoughtful protagonist."
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Cockrell balances on the knife’s edge between comedy and tragedy. The depth and darkness of her themes makes an absorbing read for older young adults." —The Boston Globe

"I loved this story with its deft use of magical realism, its wonderfully quirky yet believable characters, and its honest portrayal of relationships, good and bad."—Han Nolan, National Book Award-winning author of Dancing on the Edge