The Usual Rules: A Novel

A thirteen-year-old girl named Wendy navigates sudden tragedy following the September 11 attacks. On a Tuesday morning in Brooklyn, Wendy heads to school with typical teenage concerns—plans with her best friend, worries about her appearance, frustration with her mother, and impatience with her brother and stepfather. An hour later, news arrives that a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center, her mother's office building. Through Wendy's perspective, the narrative follows her gradual realization that her mother has died and her family's effort to rebuild their lives. Wendy's journey takes her to California, where she develops relationships with her father's girlfriend who grows cacti, a teenage mother, and a bookstore owner with an autistic son. Through these connections, she discovers the deep bond she shares with her brother. The novel portrays how the family heals and moves forward after loss, offering a story of recovery and forgiveness.