Leila Renee, assistant professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas, had her novel "Soft Spots" published Aug. 4 by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing.
"If there's a book you want to read, then you should write the book," said Renee, who cited her favorite author Toni Morrison at her book launch. "It's been a long process of getting this book in the world so this day is very momentous to me."
The literary fiction is about a recent college graduate, Robin, who ran away from an abusive family. She lands a job in a service-learning teaching program away from home and lives with a roommate named Naomi. While the two don't align class wise, they share qualities that mirror each other. When Robin hears her father's health is in jeopardy, she ponders whether she should reconcile with her parents along with her newfound journey of wanting to be the best teacher in her high school and becoming best friends with Naomi.
Renee brings her poetic prowess to this novel and inserts bits of humor in this coming-of-age narrative that touches on trauma, estrangement and coping mechanisms. She began writing this story in 2019.
