Hear from Calkins Creek’s Thalia Leaf, editor of Mason Stokes’ debut YA novel ALL THE TRUTH I CAN STAND, on why this book resonated with her.

Dear Reader,

I’m excited to introduce my first acquisition for Calkins Creek, the young adult novel All the Truth I Can Stand by Mason Stokes.

When this novel first showed up in my inbox, I read it one sitting. When I asked National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer to blurb it, he got back to me in a matter of days, because he found, to his surprise, that he couldn’t put it down either.

All the Truth I Can Stand is a queer coming-of-age story that draws from and reimagines the horrific 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. Knowing this chapter of American history is essential for young people, both queer and not, who want to understand our current moment. But it’s the story of the fictional protagonist, Ash, that really captured my heart. His is a story of first love, tragedy, and tough decisions, and he’s funny, thoughtful, angry, and passionate in a way that feels authentic and compelling.

Written by YA debut author Mason Stokes, who is a professor at Skidmore College in upstate New York, All the Truth I Can Stand is young adult fiction at its most heartfelt and thought-provoking. I hope you’ll find it as riveting as I did.

Thalia Leaf
Associate Editor, Calkins Creek
Astra Books for Young Readers