I've been asked
again and again: “What's Micah's 45 about?” I guess I could have
a more elaborate response. I often say things
like: “It's a young adult novel about redemption,” or “It's a
coming-of-age novel that I started for a class I took in college.”
But this really doesn't tell you anything about the story.
Sunny, one of the
main characters, started as a thought on a day when I had been
wronged. He developed out of my own habit of talking to myself and
using my imagination to envision what would happen if someone were
listening. He was born out of my need for affirmation after the
betrayal of a close friend. He is continually one of my favorite
reactions when people respond to my book. Even though everyone thinks
he's a main character, he's actually a sideline character that
everyone loves. He's a sarcastic and fun character who easily puts on
a serious face to help Micah grow. I think that's why people like
him.
Micah, the overall
main character, is not me. Micah is a conglomeration of the person
I've been and a person who is entirely different than me. However, as
I wrote Micah's 45, Micah became a part of me. If I can tell you
anything about Micah without revealing her story, it's that Micah is
entirely human. She's a Christian teenager trying to survive in a
public school dealing with issues that every person deals with in
their lives eventually. Though the book is not focused on her
Christianity, it is an integral part of her life and can be seen in
her attempts to make correct decisions, her guilt over incorrect
decisions, and her growth through times when she doesn't feel guilty
for bad decisions.