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Kelsey B. Toney - The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday

  • Solid State Books 600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002 United States (map)

Delia Bridges is striving to become the compassionate doctor she's been unable to find in her journey to diagnose her excruciating period pain--but when a single rule-breaking incident jeopardizes her future, she must find a way to reclaim her dreams in this funny, period-positive novel.

High school senior Delia Bridges has the most amazing mom and sister, a killer GPA--and periods that are so painful they make her scream, pass out, and throw up. Though she doesn't know it yet, Delia has endometriosis, an affliction plaguing millions of people that is notoriously difficult to diagnose.

Pain makes everything harder, but Delia is just one semester away from graduating from Stockwood Prep and pursuing her dream of becoming the kind of doctor she's never had: one who takes her symptoms seriously. But when she breaks a rule for the first time ever and is caught using marijuana at school to manage her pain, Delia is expelled.

Her expulsion jeopardizes her college acceptance, her planned mentorship, and everything she had carefully planned for years. Without her academic success and no closer to a diagnosis, is Delia anything more than her period?

About the author:  Kelsey B. Toney writes humorous, heartfelt stories about the hope that exists after our most laughably bad decisions. In past lives, Kelsey has been a teacher, recording artist, and actress—always in pursuit of connection through art and empathy. Learn more at kelseybtoney.com, on her podcast, or in her newsletter.

About the moderator: Jessica Spotswood is the internationally-bestselling author of the YA fantasy trilogy The Cahill Witch Chronicles. She is the editor of the feminist anthologies A Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element, and co-editor (with Tess Sharpe) of Toil & Trouble. Her most recent novel is Great or Nothing, a World War II-era retelling of Little Women. Jess’s books have been included on the ALA’s Rainbow and Rise lists and chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, mystery author Stephen Spotswood, and she works at the DC Public Library.

Earlier Event: June 18
Horror Book Club: Lamb