Driving by Starlight

A Publishers' Weekly Flying StartA 2019 CCBC best-of-the-year recommendation by the University of Wisconsin-Madison "Leena's commanding voice conveys her desperation, courage, and intellect in a riveting, ultimately exhilarating page-turner." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "The fast-paced narrative and unexpected twists make for an engaging yet educational novel with a powerful message about the complexities of being a woman in a man's world." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review16- year-old Leena navigates the high-stakes terrain of friendship, education, and cultural police in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Leena, whose dissident father is imprisoned, studies law and longs for college. Living in a home without men, Leena practices a risky custom called boyat, dressing as a man to escort her hardworking, tight-lipped, "full of secrets" mother on errands. Leena's friend Mishail, a government official's daughter, seeks adventure, wearing contraband lingerie, walking outside without a male escort, and flirting with boys, seemingly oblivious to the potential consequences: "Colored clothes could get you sent to the headmistress's office. Boys got you beheaded."