Dare to Dream by Amanda LaPera is the first book in the Desert of Dreams series. In it, Kiara ends up in the ironically named desert environment of Lake Los Angeles after her parents’ divorce. Her mother calls it affordable housing, but to Kiara, it’s...

Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: A Family’s Search for Hope is written by Amanda LaPera. LaPera’s father was diagnosed with cancer. After going through the surgery, he left his family in search of a more divine purpose. He sends postcards from some of the places he...

Finding Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia: An End to the Search by Amanda LaPera is a deeply personal memoir of her ten-year journey to reconnect with her father, Joseph, who has lived on the streets with untreated severe mental illness since his diagnosis at age fifty-three. Following...

Sway with the Wind by Amanda LaPera is the story of eleven-year-old Anne Dougherty, who is sent off to live on a ranch in the desert with her grandfather, after her parents died in a terrible accident. The land is large, empty, and harsh, and...

Misty isn’t too pleased when her family moves to Palmdale, California, far from the big city. Good news: she quickly grows to love the desert’s natural beauty and wildlife. Bad news: her home life is nowhere near as beautiful, despite the facade of a happy...