“How can you miss what you ain’t never had?” Sheema’s boyfriend Forrest asks. But Sheema, whose father has been away and out of touch since she was a baby, does miss him. Her mother is dead, but her father – wherever he is – surely he could help her. He would be able to quiet her fears, resolve her conflicts, and save her from “The Bomb” that could explode and destroy the world. He would give her the security she so urgently needs, and a little love.

In Forrest’s old rickety car, the two teenagers set out on an adventurous journey, following slim clues they hope will lead them to Sheema’s father. Searching for him, Sheema finds new strengths in herself. Young readers will empathize with her emotions as she steps across the border from adolescence into adulthood. Written with the beauty of language and depth of meaning readers have come to expect from Virginia Hamilton, A Little Love is a poignant and richly satisfying story that illuminates the human spirit.

Awards:
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Editors’ Choice
Coretta Scott King Award
The Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book

Philomel Books Division of Putnam Publishing Group
Jacket Illustration © 1984 by Leo and Diane Dillon