Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb

Rabb, M. (2007). Cures for heartbreak. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN-10 0385734034
ISBN-13 978-0385734035
238 pgs
Genre: Contemporary life
Classification: Fiction
Age level: Young Adult

Reader's annotation
After a string of difficult experiences including the death of her mother, ninth-grader Mia is left reeling. As she tries to move her life forward, she relies on her father and a couple of close friends, and discovers the healing power of forgiveness.

Summary
Ninth grade student Mia Perlman is having some hard times. Her mother died suddenly after a recent cancer diagnosis, her father had a heart attack and endured a long hospital stay, her sister left for college, and to top it off, she might be developing feelings for a cute young cancer patient. It’s hard to concentrate on school and soon her studies fall behind. But after months of struggling with grief, eventually life begins to move on. A new best friend is made, and her father begins to date. When an unexpected tragedy comes calling again, while there may not be a cure for heartbreak, a safety net is in place.

Notes
This novel explores personal as well as cultural grief, as Mia’s mother is among a generation of children of Holocaust survivor’s living in the New York area. In the novel, this generation is marked by many early deaths from illness and suicide.