Valerie Danners is in a cult. She just doesn’t know it yet. When she finds a queer book at the library and smuggles it home, her conservative Christian homeschooling world begins to crack. And when the cutest girl she’s ever met shows up to Bible class, she starts to question everything.

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Riley is so confident and kind, and she and Valerie bond quickly over existing as multiracial teens in a very white Christian community. As Valerie explores her feelings for Riley, she begins to see that the world she knows is a carefully crafted narrative.

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Publicly, the girls are close friends—holding hands in prayer, rooming together at a conference. Privately, they grasp at any chance to continue their forbidden romance—until they are found out. Now Valerie must choose between staying with a family she fears will never accept her, or running away with the girl she loves.

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"A tender, queer coming-of-age story about finding oneself within an oppressive religious environment. An impressive debut!"

-Julie Tieu, author of Fancy Meeting You Here 

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"Achingly heartfelt and resoundingly beautiful. I need more books from Natalie Naudus ASAP!"
- Julie Abe, author of The Charmed List and Our Cursed Love

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"A moving journey of discovery, first love and resilience, with a timely and urgent message. Many people need this story and don't know it yet; I hope they somehow find it."

- Jessica best, author of Stars, Hide Your Fires

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"Sweet as peach slices, Gay the Pray Away is a gentle, passionate, and hopeful tale of love conquering fear."

- Eliott Gish, Author of Grey Dog

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Signed paperbacks with special edition bookmark and magnet are available through my shopify, US only.