Camp Auctus for Girls is a summer sleep-away camp focused on leadership. Julia cherishes the memories of her summer there with her best friend and cousin, Elizabeth, who was shot to death at the age of ten.
Three years after the shooting, in 2041, thirteen-year-old Julia returns to camp. She’s been asked to make a speech in honor of Elizabeth, but she doesn’t know how. Try as she might, she can’t make sense of the tragedy.
Then her counselor, Ms. Caroline, starts telling Julia stories about her mother, Rebecca, and Elizabeth’s mother, Lisa, from their time at camp. Julia listens eagerly as Ms. Caroline begins to paint a picture of the year 2014—when her mother was her age.
Eventually, the coming-of-age stories of her mother and aunt help Julia understand two things: that our friendships are crucial in defining who we are and that it’s vital to fight for what we believe in. That knowledge helps Julia find the words and courage to deliver a powerful speech expressing her anger about her cousin’s death and her hope for a future where gun laws can finally change.
Three years after the shooting, in 2041, thirteen-year-old Julia returns to camp. She’s been asked to make a speech in honor of Elizabeth, but she doesn’t know how. Try as she might, she can’t make sense of the tragedy.
Then her counselor, Ms. Caroline, starts telling Julia stories about her mother, Rebecca, and Elizabeth’s mother, Lisa, from their time at camp. Julia listens eagerly as Ms. Caroline begins to paint a picture of the year 2014—when her mother was her age.
Eventually, the coming-of-age stories of her mother and aunt help Julia understand two things: that our friendships are crucial in defining who we are and that it’s vital to fight for what we believe in. That knowledge helps Julia find the words and courage to deliver a powerful speech expressing her anger about her cousin’s death and her hope for a future where gun laws can finally change.
