Immaculate

Description

Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant. Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant-despite having never had sex-her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina's claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina's story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible-and that Mina's unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

Katelyn Detweiler (http-//katelyndetweiler.com/) was born and raised in Pennsylvania-in a small town much like Mina's-living in a centuries-old farmhousesurrounded by fields and woods. After graduating from Penn State University, shemade the move to New York City, where she is a literary agent representing books for all ages and across all genres.Katelyn currently lives, works, and writes in Brooklyn.Follow her @katedetweiler

Praise for Immaculate "A sincere, romantic, and secular story of birth, young motherhood, and new love."--Publishers Weekly "Detweiler's smart writing moves quickly and entertains, particularly with Mina's appealingly bright voice. Even as the story probes its mystical underpinnings, the focus remains firmly on Mina right through to the end. Detweiler's ambitious debut takes an intriguing premise and executes it well."--Kirkus Reviews "Immaculate is a bewitching and thought-provoking story about the strength and faith required to face a contemporary miracle. This one begs for a sequel."--National Book Award Finalist Deb Caletti "Katelyn Detweiler has accomplished something exceptional--a poignant novel that balances delicate issues of religious heresy and bullying with heartwarming moments of faith, love, and personal strength. With a protagonist who is smart, honest, and surprisingly relatable given her circumstances, Mina's story will guide readers down a path of introspection and force us to consider how we, too, might react to a modern-day miracle."--Marissa Meyer, The New York Times bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles "Katelyn Detweiler's Immaculate is a vividly-imagined story about magic, faith, and family. Her heroine's wildly unlikely teenage pregnancy leads to more than just a brutal break-up and national scandal; it allows for an exploration of essential questions about sex, identity, and what belief means to human beings. In a lovely and uplifting twist, Immaculate gives us girls who believe in themselves and each other, girls who move forward--in spite of extremely difficult circumstances--to create joy, love, and new life."--Rachel DeWoskin, author of Blind and Big Girl Small "[The] message is more about faith in general than a specific set of beliefs. A unique page-turner mixing humor and heart, this is a thought-provoking take on miracles and motherhood."--School Library Journal