Teenage burn survivor Wilder Tate faces the challenges of high school but in the aftermath of tragedy he discovers the capacity to forgive and empathize-- learning the importance of healing from the inside out.

“…a stunning read.” —Kirkus Reviews The Escape of Light is a compulsively-readable marvel that demands to be read in one sitting."—Dan Loflin, screenwriter, the CW’s SUPERNATURAL and THIS IS JANE Wilder Tate just wants a normal life with a normal face... Burns have disfigured him, his father has passed away, and his mother now works so many jobs, he feels like he’s living alone. He expects more of that same loneliness as he starts at a new high school, but Wilder surprises even himself as he finds a new best friend, discovers a knack for basketball, and catches the eye of the coolest girl in school. All the cruelty and bullying seems reserved for the enigmatic Lane McKenzie, and Wilder is all too happy to let her take the heat. But sometimes Wilder is his own worst enemy, and his scars run far deeper than just physical damage. He’s haunted by a secret he thinks he can erase with a bold and risky plan to fix his disfigurement for good—a plan that may cost him far more than he ever imagined. Filled with twists, heart, and humor, The Escape of Light is a bold and unexpected story of resilience, love, and basketball from the acclaimed author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back.

Fred Venturini has eleven scars from eleven separate incidents, the most interesting of which is the time he was set on fire. For the others, just ask. His short fiction has been featured in the Booked Anthology, Noir at the Bar 2, and Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Toungues anthology. He is the acclaimed author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back and the forthcoming The Escape of Light (Turner, 2019). On the basketball court, he is a three-point specialist and defensive liability. He lives in Southern Illinois with his wife and daughter.