ARPress is honored to publish Runaway by Clifton Brusso. This book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website.
Growing up rarely follows a straight path. Childhood is often filled with small victories, quiet disappointments, and moments that shape a person’s confidence long before they understand their own worth. For some children, the hardest battles are not the ones anyone can see. They unfold inside classrooms, behind report cards, and in the silence that follows being misunderstood. Sometimes, what looks like failure is simply a child waiting for someone to see them clearly.
That quiet truth gives Runaway its emotional weight. Rather than telling the story of a troubled teenager alone, Clifton Brusso explores the experiences that shape a young life long before rebellion begins. The novel follows Maleta, a bright girl whose struggle with dyslexia leaves her misunderstood by teachers, judged by others, and questioning her own abilities. As her family navigates the challenges of raising a child who learns differently, the story becomes a thoughtful reflection on patience, resilience, and the life-changing impact of compassion.
Brusso approaches the subject with empathy rather than sentimentality. He reminds readers that learning differences are not signs of limited potential but invitations to teach differently. Through Professor Tom Alden, an educator who understands dyslexia because he has lived with it himself, the novel offers a hopeful perspective on how encouragement, trust, and practical guidance can restore a child’s confidence. His simple belief that “it’s not the child that’s broken, it’s the way we teach them” quietly becomes one of the story’s most memorable ideas.
The relationship between Maleta and her mother, Sally, adds another layer to the novel. Their conversations are often tense, shaped by fear, frustration, and the growing distance that can emerge between a parent and a teenager. Yet beneath every disagreement lies something deeper: a mother’s determination to protect her daughter, even when neither of them knows the right words to bridge the gap. Brusso captures those moments with honesty, allowing readers to see both sides without asking them to choose one over the other.
As the story unfolds, Runaway becomes more than a novel about dyslexia. It reflects on parenting, adolescence, friendship, and the difficult process of learning to let go while still holding on. The characters wrestle with choices that many families will recognize, from navigating school struggles to understanding the growing independence of a teenager searching for her own voice.
One of the novel’s strengths is its willingness to slow down and listen to its characters. Rather than rushing from one dramatic moment to the next, Brusso allows conversations to carry much of the story’s emotional depth. Those exchanges feel familiar because they echo the kinds of discussions that take place around kitchen tables, in school offices, and during quiet moments when people are trying to help one another without always knowing how.
As an author, Clifton Brusso writes with sincerity and conviction. His storytelling reflects a genuine interest in people and the challenges they face, particularly those who are too often overlooked or misunderstood. Instead of focusing solely on conflict, he chooses to highlight growth, perseverance, and the possibility that understanding can begin with something as simple as listening.
Perhaps that is what makes Runaway resonate. It reminds readers that every child carries a story others cannot always see, and that a little patience can change the direction of a life. The novel encourages empathy without preaching, offering hope without pretending that the journey is easy. Its message lingers because it feels honest.
For readers who enjoy character-driven fiction with emotional depth and meaningful themes, Runaway offers a rewarding reading experience. Through Maleta’s journey and the people who refuse to give up on her, Clifton Brusso delivers a thoughtful novel about courage, understanding, and the quiet transformations that begin when someone finally believes in another person’s potential.
Runaway by Clifton Brusso is now available for purchase via the ARPress Bookstore.