Susan Birge is at her wit’s end. Having survived as a single mother and finally achieved her dream of owning a flower shop, she goes to bed every night fearing what bad news the next day will bring regarding Rodney—her sixteen-year-old son, whom she dearly loves.

Rodney, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. Or so he thinks. Choosing apathy over the pain of being abandoned by his father, he’s fallen in with friends who are affiliated with drugs and alcohol. Arrest—and resisting arrest—seems to be his favorite pastime.

Flowers for Rodney tells the poignantly realistic story of a teenage boy struggling to find himself in a world made bleak by the loss of his father. Addressing the mother-son relationship with a refreshing candidness, author Kristine E. Brickey tackles social issues like drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, bullying, and their affects on teens and parents with a raw and illuminating honesty.

Can Susan find the delicate balance of loving her son while still holding him accountable for his actions? When Rodney is sentenced to community service, can he use it as an opportunity to let go of his anger and change his life?

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