Sparks fly when Orion and Ray meet for the first time at a roller rink in Memphis. But these
star-crossed souls have a past filled with secrets that threaten to tear them apart before
their love story even begins. Found poetry grief and fate collide in this powerful debut.
Ray: Just once I'd like my birthday to be about me and not the day my father died. I want to
be Ray Jr. the tall girl from Memphis with the poetry beats and the braids that stay poppin'.
And when I meet Orion at the skating rink that's exactly who I am. He pulls my hand and
instead of being defined by my past he races me toward my future. Orion: When I dive into the
pool it's just me and my heartbeat. There's no dad no dead sister and no distracting noises.
But I can't hold my breath forever. And since I met Ray I don't want to. The closer we get
though the more I see I'm not the only one caught in her wake. With a lyrical blend of found
poetry and poignant prose this stunning debut captures young Black love and a decades-old
family secret that may shatter a romance that feels written in the stars.
