In her new book Letters from the Bronx: A Teenage Romance Unfolded, Tylia L. Flores tells the story of Garrison Jarvis, an 18-year-old troubled teen raised by single mother Donna Jarvis and bullied because of their broken home. Because of his poor upbringing, he had fights, he went to Juvie, and he was considered rebellious. When he receives a job offer at the North American Association of Cerebral Palsy summer camp, it takes him a while to see past his struggles.
Having struggled to fix his 1978 Ford pickup truck engine, Eugene Newton talks to old family friends Hugh and Harriett Newton about working at a summer camp for cerebral palsy.
Lissette Rodriguez, 17, of the Bronx, has mild cerebral palsy, uses crutches, suffers from low self-esteem, and has always dreamed of attending NAACCP summer camp. She leaves behind the struggles of her life, which are very similar to Garrison's since she grew up in the Bronx in New York, living with her single father, Juan, and her younger brother, Juan Junior.
Due to their similar lives, Garrison and Lissette lean on each other for support and wind up falling in love, only to have their summer romance interrupted by their long-distance relationship.
Their relationship is threatened by Garrison's strife, forcing them to make a difficult choice... Will they stay together or will they end up apart? Ultimately, they must make the decision that is best for them
