The Lightness of Hands [Paperback]

A quirky and heartfelt coming-of-age story about a teen girl with bipolar II who signs her failed magician father up to perform his legendary but failed illusion on live TV in order to make enough money to pay for the medications they needfrom the author of Symptoms of Being Human. Perfect for fans of Adi Alsaid, David Arnold, and Arvin Ahmadi.  

Sixteen-year-old Ellie Dante is desperate for something in her life to finally go right. Her father was a famous stage magician until he attempted an epic illusion on live TVand failed. Now Ellie lives with her dad in a beat-up RV, attending high school online and performing with him at birthday parties and bars across the Midwest to make ends meet.

But when the gigs dry up, their insurance lapses, leaving Dads heart condition unchecked and forcing Ellie to battle her bipolar II disorder without medication.

Then Ellie receives a call from a famous magic duo, who offer fifteen thousand dollars and a shot at redemption: they want her father to perform the illusion that wrecked his careeron their live TV special, which shoots in Los Angeles in ten days. 

Ellie knows her dad will refusebut she takes the deal anyway, then lies to persuade him to head west. With the help of her online-only best friend and an unusual guy she teams up with along the way, Ellie makes a plan to stage his comeback. But when her lie is exposed, shell have to confront her illness and her choices head-on to save her fatherand herself.

What happens when the biggest illusion is the lie you tell the person you love most?

• Authentic Mental Health Representation:Ellies heartfelt, honest narration of her life with bipolar II disorder, from the dizzying highs of hypomania to the crushing lows of depression.
• A Cross-Country Con:With ten days to get from the Midwest to LA, Ellie is betting everything on a lieand the hope that her dad wont find lC+