Pregnant Pause

A thought-provoking and courageous novel by National Book Award winner Han Nolan. Nobody gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant sixteenyear-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s summer camp for overweight kids. Despite her initial reluctance to help out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created. With everyone in her life pulling her in different directions, can Elly find the courage to make a choice for herself? Teen Pregnancy: Sixteen and pregnant, Eleanor isn’t ready to be a mother. But she’s even less ready to be told what to do with her baby. Young Love Under Pressure: Marrying Lam wasn’t a choice—it was an ultimatum. Now, living together at his family’s camp, their relationship is tested in ways neither of them expected. The Adoption Choice: With her perfect older sister and her new in-laws both offering to raise the child, Elly is faced with a decision that no one else can make for her. Finding Your Voice: Surrounded by judgmental adults and missionary parents who think they know best, Elly must learn to fight for the future she wants, not the one she’s been given.