This is a very different kind of novel. Written in short poems, it tells the story of a girl, her family and the devastation of abuse.

Anke uses poetry to document the torment of her father's abuse...not of her, but as he attacks her brother and sister.  She feels invisible...something that no one sees...like furniture.

Anke tries out for the volleyball team at school, and is accepted.  Practice feels good.  She is part of the team, and her confidence builds as she discovers skills she didn't realize she had.  She begins to imagine the day she will be strong enough to change things at home.

Thalia Chaltas has unparalleled writing skills and a vivid imagination which she shares with us in this thought-provoking book. Though I don't usually read poetry, and was not initially very  interested in this book, I found myself unexpectedly caught up in the sad story that Anke tells in her poems, and read the book in one sitting.  I cried with her, and cheered for her.  Her triumph was my triumph in the ending that left me with much to think about.