Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee

The word that Shawna Ghallagher refuses to say is 'lesbian.' Her mother abandoned her and her father in order to be with her new love, Fran. In the years since then, Shawna has barely seen her mother, who has made a life with Fran and two sons. Then, she gets a phone call from Fran: her mother is dying.

Shawna has always strived to be perfect, but when her mother dies, there are so many hard choices. She is torn between pleasing her controlling father and doing what her heart tells her is the right thing. The path to perfection is no longer clear.

Psychologically-complex characters struggling with thorny issues make this an emotionally engaging coming-of-age story.