First Year: The Weldon School Chronicles (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798354981625)

September 1966.

A New York City violin prodigy.

A New England prep school.

Black girl. White school.

At thirteen, Rachael Conner wins a prestigious international violin competition. For her Bronx family, Rachael's next step is to accept her admission to Music and Arts in Manhattan. But Rachael hears the siren song of chilly New England, the romance of boarding school, and a chance to just see what's out there, away from home and her protective mama.

It is not enough to grapple with the odd ways of rich northern girls, muted racial slights, and the daily challenges of jealous classmates and clueless teachers. Rachael also learns that "once family, always family" is oh so true, as her brilliant but troubled cousin trails her to Massachusetts to escape the draft. And as she gets to know her fellow students, "once family, always family" gets deeper and stranger than any of them could have imagined.