LEARNED BY HEART

Shiromi Arserio is the ideal choice for this touching novel about two 14-year-old girls who attend a boarding school in York, England, in 1805. Arserio vividly conveys the emotional complexities of Eliza Raine, a lonely, wealthy orphan from India, and Anne Lister, an audacious, highly intelligent tomboy. The social outcasts quickly become inseparable, and their friendship blossoms into desire. As they experience the beauty of first love, Arserio poignantly expresses the intensity of their forbidden passion and their feelings of vulnerability. When Anne flees the school, her world expands, and Raine is left behind. Arserio's compassionate portrayal of these unforgettable characters is extraordinary. M.M.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]