Queer Coming-of-Age with Depth

Emily had always seemed lucky up to now. At least, that’s how it looked. In truth, it was her mother who seemed to attract luck with almost magical ease. Since her mother’s death, though, everything feels different for Emily. Luck appears spent, the lightness is gone, and the life stretched out before her suddenly feels heavier. When Emily stumbles upon her mother’s bucket list from her graduation year, a surprising path back to memories that haven’t fully faded opens up before her.
The list becomes more than a collection of old wishes for Emily. It’s a lifeline to her mother, a thread of closeness in a time when grief dominates everything. To check off the items, Emily will need help. She finds it in Blake. Together, they set out to complete the tasks, one by one—and with every assignment, something shifts between them.
“Lucky List” (Amazon-Affiliate-Link ) is a sensitively told queer love story that places love and friendship at the center, without softening the main character’s grief.

A Summer Between Grief and a Fresh Start

Rachael Lippincott blends the magic of a summer before the final year of high school with the questions that loom large at the edge of adulthood: Who can Emily be? How much of herself can she show? And what does it mean to share a secret with the world when the beloved mother will never get to know this part of her life?
At the center is Emily’s careful attempt to let happiness back in. Blake isn’t simply a rescue figure, but a companion on a path that Emily must walk on her own. The two’s closeness unfolds within a coming-of-age story with depth, telling of farewell, self-acceptance, and finding one’s own place.
Rachael Lippincott tells Emily’s story with a keen sensitivity to the quiet moments between loss and new beginnings. The author studied English Writing at the University of Pittsburgh and lives in Pittsburgh with her wife and their children. (dd/pm)