Not by Accident by Naomi Raksin, Softcover

A terrible car crash brings Leeba Hartman's life to a sudden halt. Her friendships, her bond with her sister Rosie and her whole attitude toward life are called into question as she works through the trauma. Naomi Raksin tells Leeba's story in first person across 304 softcover pages.

It seemed to be happening in sickening slow motion, yet mockingly too fast for action. My body rocked in horror; my eyes bulged. The crash was ear-piercing; metal clashing against metal, shattering glass, and screeching rubber wheels. The deafening noise echoed upward, curling above the tree-tops with the rising plume of ashy smoke.

And then, nothing. A strange, eerie silence filled the night air.

A devastating car crash brings life as Leeba Hartman knew it to a grinding halt. Her friends, her relationship with her sister Rosie, her whole attitude toward life, everything suddenly comes into question in wake of the tragedy and trauma that Leeba experiences. And deeply enmeshed within all the other roiling emotions is the deep-seated, secret guilt that she knows she will always carry around with her.

Rosie Hartman has a secret, too. A secret so huge and so awful that she herself can hardly believe it. But if all evidence points to its certainty, it has to be true, doesn't it? On the other hand, is she willing to risk whatever remnants remain of her close ties with Leeba, by concurring with the theory?

Not by Accident is the poignant story of two sisters at odds with each other, yet whose closeness, inexplicably, still can't be denied. It is a vivid portrayal of the very real issues so many frum teenagers grapple with nowadays, such as self-esteem, peer pressure, and the complex relationship present so often between teens and themselves and those closest to them. It is a book that will touch the most sensitive chord within you, causing you to cry, to laugh, and to grow, not by accident.

By: Naomi Raksin

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