In Steven Herrick's excellent How to Repaint a Life, we meet Isaac - a teen who has escaped his absuive father (just as his mother did years prior), and who is determined to carve out a new life  on the road. He finds himself in a small country town, and while he has no plans to stay, it is the kindness of local cafe owner Joan and the heart of fellow teen Sophie that slowly validate Isaac's feelings of belonging and faith in other people. 

The heavy themes of homelessness and domestic abuse are written with care, and counterbalanced with appealing, witty characters. How to Repaint a Life is a clever and thoughtful novel that reminds the reader that while one may not be born with a great start, it is the grace and compassion of others that can help restore..or repaint...a life.

The College Library