Briarwood (Hardcover)

How do you fight what you can't put your finger on? This is Monica O'Reilly's dilemma--the sort of prejudice that floats below the surface and feeds on insinuation and intolerance.
It is 1990. Monica is a shy, unassuming probationary teacher in a French immersion school with one year left before receiving tenure. She works hard, minds her own business, and does her best to avoid school politics. But with the arrival of a new principal--think the Devil Wears Prada--her life is suddenly turned upside down.

Although she has received glowing reports for her teaching, she now finds herself coming up short on all her evaluations. Not even a school break-in, a dead body, or an escaped reptile can distract her administrator from pursuing her insidious "plan." Just when Monica is about to give up, her principal has a bizarre accident and is replaced by an administrator who doesn't share her toxic prejudices. When her principal recovers, she's like a new woman--or is she?

This is not just a novel about a dysfunctional school system. It's about courage and perseverance in the face of sanctioned, institutionalized bullying. Ultimately, it's a story about friendship, love, and the relationships that define us.