Passerine ~ a novel ~

Just weeks before graduation, twelfth-grader Wren Hartley finds an eviction notice on her apartment door.

     Her dysfunctional single mother has recently been laid off, her grades are falling behind with exams around the corner, and Wren has few options left to raise enough money to keep a roof over their heads. Although she's hesitant to accept help, her childhood best friend Lark, and classmates Kirsten and Feli, do their best to support her. But they're going through their own difficulties at home.

     While everyone around her prepares for the transition into adulthood, Wren enters a world far too adult, and makes the difficult decision to sell her body as a last resort. Her dangerous "part-time job" comes at an unpredictable cost as things spiral out of control.

      Fallible grown-ups in their lives do more harm than good, so the girls are forced to decide for themselves who to rely on. And, despite crash-landing through her developing sexuality, Wren finds herself closer to Lark than she's ever been.

Set during the Great Recession in urban California, Passerine is a drama about a desperate young girl, exploitation, and bonds between women.

This is a work of pure fiction intended for mature audiences only.
All characters involved in explicit sexual conduct are 18 years old or older.
Content warning: sexual violence, substance use (more detail)

Written & Illustrated by Kitty W. (.farside)
New Adult / Teen Drama  / Women's Issues / TBC pgs. / PDF