The Lightness of Hands

A quirky and heartfelt coming-of-age story about a teen girlwith bipolar II who signs her failed magician father up to performhis legendary but failed illusion on live TV in order to makeenough money to pay for the medications they need―from the authorof Symptoms of Being Human. Perfect for fans of Adi Alsaid, DavidArnold, and Arvin Ahmadi.Sixteen-year-old Ellie Dante is desperate for something in herlife to finally go right. Her father was a famous stage magicianuntil he attempted an epic illusion on live TV―and failed. NowEllie lives with her dad in a beat-up RV, attending high schoolonline and performing with him at birthday parties and bars acrossthe Midwest to make ends meet.But when the gigs dry up, their insurance lapses, leaving Dad’sheart condition unchecked and forcing Ellie to battle her bipolarII disorder without medication.Then Ellie receives a call from a famous magic duo, who offerfifteen thousand dollars and a shot at redemption: they want herfather to perform the illusion that wrecked his career―on theirlive TV special, which shoots in Los Angeles in ten days.Ellie knows her dad will refuse―but she takes the deal anyway,then lies to persuade him to head west. With the help of heronline-only best friend and an unusual guy she teams up with alongthe way, Ellie makes a plan to stage his comeback. But when her lieis exposed, she’ll have to confront her illness and her choiceshead-on to save her father―and herself.