Castle of Concrete

Sonya is half-Russian, half-Jewish; a hybrid of a girl. A small mouse of a girl. A sh-sh-sh Soviet girl in search of a stronger, braver self.

At fifteen years old, after a childhood of missing her fearless Jewish mother who once wrote anti-Soviet poetry, Sonya reunties with her in Moscow at last. But New Life turns out complicated, when Sonya befriends a nice Jewish boy almost too handsome to behold, while falling hard for an outspoken, fiercely loving Russian patriot who makes her question her own identity in ways no one ever has before.

My Young Adult novel “Castle of Concrete,” set in 1990-91 in the collapsing Soviet Union, follows fifteen-year-old Sonya Solovay on her journey past secrets, fantasies and lies. Repped by Jessica Regel of Jean V Naggar, the novel will be published by Namelos.

From Joyce Moyer Hostetter, author of “Blue,” “Comfort” and “Healing Water:”

“CASTLE OF CONCRETE is constructed of the finest story materials: complex characters, page-flipping suspense, and exquisite details. All in a troubled historical landscape. The story really kept me reading with pounding heart. It is about so much more than anti-Semitism. It’s about getting into unhealthy relationships and convincing ourselves of what we want to believe. Teens need to read this.”