From theNew York Timesbestselling author ofPicture Thisa stunning revelation sends a mother and her adopted daughter on a journey of self-discovery.

How do you keep a secret so huge that it could devastate everyone you care about? For Kate Malloy, the answer is simple: one lie at a time. Thats how she has protected her daughter for more than a dozen years, shielding her from a terrible truth. Sofia, a fifteen-year-old soccer star living in New England, believes she was born in Mexico and legally adopted by Kate. But a posthumous letter from her stepfather tells Sofia a different storyone of civil unrest and bloodshed, death-defying heroism and child-smuggling, harrowing sacrifice and desperate decisions.\

Sofias trust in her mother is shattered. At last Kate must do what she knows is rightaccompany Sofia back to Guatemalathe place where Kate found horror and heartache but also the greatest joy of her life. As mother and daughter confront the damage done by years of dangerous yet necessary deceptions, they discover how much love, hope, and happiness may still remainif they have the courage to face their past.

 Praise forThe Center of the World: 

Sheehans writing is lively and vivid and her feel for historical detail is fine. The New York Times

Sheehan uses her skills as both a psychologist and a writer to create a solid, insightful story. Kirkus