The Lightness of Hands

Sixteen-year-old Ellie Dante is desperate for something in her life to finally go right. Her father was a famous stage magician until he attempted an epic illusion on live TV—and failed. Now Ellie lives with her dad in a beat-up RV, attending high school online and performing with him at birthday parties and bars across the Midwest to make ends meet in a story defined by its complicated father-daughter relationship.

But when the gigs dry up, their insurance lapses, leaving Dad’s heart condition unchecked and forcing Ellie to battle her bipolar II disorder without medication in this unflinching look at teen mental health.

Then Ellie receives a call from a famous magic duo, who offer fifteen thousand dollars and a shot at redemption: they want her father to perform the illusion that wrecked his career—on their live TV special, which shoots in Los Angeles in ten days, sparking a desperate cross-country road trip. 

Ellie knows her dad will refuse—but she takes the deal anyway, then lies to persuade him to head west. With the help of her online-only best friend and an unusual guy she teams up with along the way, a tentative YA romance begins as Ellie makes a plan to stage his comeback. But when her lie is exposed, she’ll have to confront her illness and her choices head-on to save her father—and herself.

One desperate daughter. One last chance at redemption.

• High Stakes Comeback: Ellie must convince her failed magician father to perform the one illusion that destroyed his career, with a ten-day deadline and fifteen thousand dollars on the line.
• Mental Health Representation: A raw and authentic portrayal of a teen girl battling Bipolar II Disorder without medication while trying to hold her family together.
• Found Family: With help from her online best friend and a charming guy she meets on the road, Ellie discovers that family isn’t just about blood.
• Family Secrets: Ellie thinks she’s just lying to save her dad, but the journey to Los Angeles will unravel the truth about her father’s failure and her mother’s past.