When Carson meets Aisha in the gift shop of ZooMontana, he is awed by her beauty and quick wit. Although initially disappointed to discover that Aisha, a lesbian, isn’t the potential romantic partner he’d hoped, Carson realizes she has the friendship potential that he craves. Recently arrived in Billings from his New York City home, Carson and his mom intend to spend the summer caring for his terminally ill, alcoholic, long-estranged father. African American Aisha’s father made her leave home after she came out to her parents. New information about his paternal grandfather (also estranged from the family) sends Carson and Aisha on a quest to track the man down and bring him back into his son’s life before it’s too late. During a road trip that eventually takes them to San Francisco, the two teens struggle with difficult questions about religion, race, alcoholism, family relationships, and the sometimes rocky road to an open and equal friendship. Humor, honesty, and a willingness to explore important but often uncomfortable topics combine in this exceptional contemporary novel. (Age 14 and older)

Stonewall Book Award winner. “Konigsberg weaves together a masterful tale of uncovering the past, finding wisdom, and accepting others as well as oneself.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children’s/Young Adult

A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection

Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn’t really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and discovers a secret regarding his grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation decades before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to try and save Carson’s dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the “Porcupine of Truth” in all of their lives.

“Words like ‘brilliant’ are so overused when praising novels—so I won’t use that word. I’ll just think it.” —Benjamin Alire Sáenz, author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

“Undeniably human and unforgettably wise, this book is a gift for us all.” —Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

“Konigsberg . . . crafts fascinating, multidimensional teen and adult characters. A friendship between a straight boy and a lesbian is relatively rare in YA fiction and is, accordingly, exceedingly welcome.” —Booklist (starred review)

“The story tackles questions about religion, family, and intimacy with depth and grace . . . Equal parts funny and profound.” —Kirkus Reviews