Carol Edgarian: “Vera”

Vera is a fifteen-year-old girl who cobbles together her life, and gains access to her destiny, following the tragic 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent widespread fires. Carol Edgarian’s “Vera” is the story of this strong, capable, and independent girl whose voice is the voice of the book. Vera handles everything: the corrupt mayor, the man who may have been her father, and the search for her lost mother. The book follows the stories of those who rise out of the ashes of a crushed society—marginalized characters who seize an opportunity to find agency and redefine themselves.

Excerpt from “Vera” by Carol Edgarian.

Vera

I alwaysthoughtofmycityasawoman.Butthehouse,itturned out,wasawomantoo.Whenthequakehit,shegroaned.Her timbers strained to hold on to their pins, the pinssnapping.And therocksbeneaththehouse?Theyhadvoicestoo.AndifIever wondered how long it would take for the world to end, Iknow: forty-five seconds.

Excerpted from Vera© 2021 Carol Edgarian. Reprinted with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.