Lila Jenkins is a single career minded woman when she suddenly finds herself in charge of Betsy, her sick niece. Betsy and her younger sister have been in the care of their exhausted grandmother while their own mother, Lucy, is in a mental hospital. Life's events and obstacles have sent Lucy into a breakdown and she is unable to provide private health care for her family. Betsy is suffering from awful headaches and the state appointed doctor has diagnosed her with TMJ. Lila refuses to accept this, but hits a roadblock when the pompous doctor will not change his diagnosis and the condescending social worker refuses to help. At her wits end, Lila enlists the help of the local television station.
Alto Martine is an investigative reporter who is always looking for a story on the edge. Intrigued with the story, he soon finds himself intrigued with Lila as well. An interview is set up to profile Betsy and her story when Lucy shows up acting bizarre and demanding to be in the spotlight. After the interview airs, the social worker mysteriously disappears and Betsy is assigned a new social worker and doctor, along with a terrifying new diagnosis.
During his investigation, Alto discovers corruption far deeper in the government than just the social workers. In spite of her sister's crazy and unpredictable behavior, Lila is in a race to save the life of a funny little girl that is intrigued with clouds and their silver linings. This story begins as a mission to help a sick child, but quickly becomes a love story of many dimensions. Family dynamics are intertwined with government corruption, mental illness and long ago buried feelings, as well as a bit of romance. Lila Jenkins' journey will intrigue, entertain and possibly enrage you.
The Story Behind This Book
Twenty years ago I knew a sweet girl that suffered from a doctors' mis-diagnosis and she fell through the cracks of a broken health care system. This book was inspired, although changed for fiction purposes, by her journey.
