Joy School

Katie has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone: her much-loved mother is dead; hew new school is unaccepting of her; and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie's awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring.

Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including Open House, an Oprah’s Book Club selection, Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, as well as the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play which enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Berg’s work has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Three of her novels were turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a four-times-a-year quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops, and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Recently, some of her most popular Facebook postings were collected in Make Someone Happy. She lives outside Chicago.