Nolan, Han

If I Should Die Before I Wake

A Summer of Kings

Dancing on the Edge

Never before in the history of the National Book Award has an author been nominated two years in a row. Han Nolan was nominated in 1996 for Send Me Down a Miracle, and in 1997 Dancing on the Edge--a transcendent novel about a young woman trying to find the truth amidst the lies told by her family--won the National Book Award for young people's literature. Miracle was saved at birth from the belly of a dying woman--that sort of entry into the world is hard to live up to. Miracle has been struggling her whole life to become a prodigy like her writer father or to become gifted in the psychic arts like her grandmother. But when her father goes missing and her grandmother claims that he melted away, Miracle devotes all of her energies to bringing him back. Her efforts to reclaim her father are so sincere that she tries to melt herself in the fire made from a circle of candles. Never sparing humor, Han Nolan lets us meet this amazing young woman who wants so much to believe.

Born Blue

Despite her natural talent for singing, 6-year-old Janie knows deep in her heart that if you really want to sing and feel the blues, you gotta be black. Aren't the tapes of the "ladies"--Aretha, Etta, and Billie--that she listens to every night in the stinking basement of her first foster home proof enough of that? So the scrawny, blond-haired, blue-eyed child of a heroin addict changes her name to Leshaya, decides that her unknown father was African American, and shuts down all feeling; only allowing the sorrow of her hard life to escape when she opens her mouth to sing. Raised by addicts and drug dealers, Leshaya trusts no one and loves nothing except her music: "Didn't need nobody else. I could make love to my own self with that sound ridin' the beat." Finally, after surviving several foster homes, a harrowing heroin withdrawal, and an unwanted pregnancy, 16-year-old Leshaya finds a band and ends up with a single on the radio. But can even that be enough for a girl so hungry for love that she looks everywhere for it except the one place she's sure to find it--within herself?

National Book Award recipient Han Nolan's fifth novel is an emotional stunner. Like Brock Cole's equally haunting The Facts Speak for Themselves, Born Blue is an unflinching look at a girl forced to grow up too fast in a callous world. Nolan's raw portrayal of Leshaya may hurt to read, but like a recently healed broken heart, it's a good pain. (Ages 14 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Send Me Down a Miracle

There's a startling, almost itchy moment in every adolescent's life when she or he first realizes that adults are fallible. Yet, for 14-year-old Charity, the revelation is even more profound: not only is her dad (the town's preacher) merely wrong about the eccentric Adrienne Dabney, he's dang-blasted and over-the-top wrong. Although she's always been a perfect preacher's daughter, Charity is about to shock the whole town by standing up to her father, proving him wrong in front of God and everyone. This riveting and acclaimed novel will resonate with any teen who has ever wanted to knock a little bit of sense into a parent's head!

A Face in Every Window

Life at James Patrick's house is a party that never ends--and he hates it. Grandma Mary was the caring matriarch who previously had held his small family together in a haven of comfort and order, a safe place where no one ever had to grow up. But now that she has died, Mam, his childlike and formerly introverted mother, has become enraptured in newfound self-discovery. After entering a contest and winning a country house, she invites a crowd of young wannabe poets, musicians, and lost souls to move in. All-night fun-a-thons, piano and guitar music, readings, arguments, and cookouts in the snow ensue. "Isn't this so fun?" says Dear Pap, JP's sweet-natured but "mentally challenged" father, as he surveys the scene from the roof (where he hangs out next to life-size Nativity figures). Mam's happy dream of "a face at every window" has come true. But JP wants stasis and order. He's miserable with these people he considers pretentious lunatics in his kitchen, his bedroom, his closet, and he wants his parents back for himself. Even worse, Mam is getting far too cozy with her arrogant friend Dr. Mike, and when she returns from a trip pregnant JP finds it impossible to face her.

Han Nolan, winner of the 1997 National Book Award for Dancing on the Edge, creates complex characters and an outlandish household in this richly textured novel about a young man learning lessons of life, love, and acceptance. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

When We Were Saints

Han Nolan spins a tale of religious fervor and adolescent searching in When We Were Saints, a compelling novel that allows readers to draw their own conclusions. The story centers on Archie Caswell, a 14-year-old southern boy whose best friend has recently moved away and whose grandfather has just died. Archie is awash in guilt over the circumstances of his granddaddy's passing, but he's equally troubled by the old man's deathbed prophecy.

Enter Clare Simmons, a mysterious girl who fully believes she and Archie are modern-day saints. Abandoned by his former confidant and desperate for answers, Archie gets swept up in Clare's appealing certainty--eventually following her all the way to New York City on a risky pilgrimage to see a crying statue of the Virgin Mary.

Nolan writes convincingly about personal struggles with faith--Archie is at times a blissful believer, at others plagued with doubt. In either state, Nolan helps us understand exactly why the young man feels the way he does. In the end, we join Archie in wondering if Clare is mentally ill, or if she does in fact have a direct line to a higher power. A captivating read, especially for teens trying to find their own way in the domain of religion and spirituality. (Ages 13 and older) --Brangien Davis