We, the Wildflowers

"Their strength and ferocity stem from below the surface where their roots are forever tangled, interwoven in such a way that for the remainder of time they bloom together…"

Genesis, Adam, Chloe, Lukas. No one loves them, no one cares about them, no one even sees them until they end up in Mary Rodriguez's home, an outpost for Sacred Heart's troubled youth program. It is within these walls that the four teens forge unlikely friendships. They experience the intensity of first loves, share secrets, and suffer losses, vowing to make the world a better place in spite of their personal battles with addiction, depression, loneliness, and abuse.

But when the unthinkable happens, those friendships are tested in ways they never could have imagined. Will they find strength enough to survive or will their bonds be too fractured to heal them yet again?

We, the Wildflowers is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

"It’s difficult to imagine anything more damaging than knowing your parents want nothing to do with you, so when Chloe’s life is signed away to a program for troubled youth, she goes silently. It’s there that she learns to truly “see” others and there that she is finally seen, too, by the loving Mrs. Rodriquez, who runs the program, and by Adam, Genny, and Lukas, her fiercely loyal wildflowers, who form a friendship holding all the love and acceptance they all could ever need. But in the wake of sudden change, all the progress they’ve made is about to be upended. In this story of misfits, Simmons evokes the spectrum of emotions her readers have come to expect from her. Writing teens who have otherwise been discarded ultimately finding purpose, Simmons sculpts characters who are damaged but introspective, pained by their past but in pursuit of meaning in their future. Readers will revel in the slow-budding romance, sympathize with the insurmountable pain, and be lifted by endless pages of resilience. Hand to fans of character-driven stories of growth." — Mahjabeen Syed, Booklist 

When she's not attending a volleyball tournament, a theater performance, or a cheer competition, L.B. Simmons can be found creating characters that face real life problems. Her goal with each book is to provide fictional friends for those who feel alone or misunderstood so they may help guide readers through the challenges that will mold and shape them. She is also the author of the Chosen Paths series. L.B. Simmons has the distinction of her most recent book, We, the Wildflowers, being chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. L.B lives in Texas with her husband and their three beautiful girls. For her latest news, visit www.lbsimmons.com