Fifteen-year-old Adriana Nicu lives in the sheltered world of Bucharest, Romania, in the year 1987. Under the rule of Communist president Nicolae Ceaușescu, citizens of Bucharest live with the eyes and ears of the government ever present. Adriana’s future, which will involve becoming an engineer, is locked in against her will. During a visit to her aunt’s apartment, Adriana walks through a wardrobe into a hidden room filled with stacks of forbidden novels. Stories bring light into the darkest of circumstances as her family begins to unravel and her life strangely parallels those of her novels’ heroines. Adriana’s childhood loyalties and her belief that God doesn’t exist are called into question as her circumstances force her to rethink things she once believed were certain. *2024 SERIES FIRST PLACE WINNER of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA): A Cold War Trilogy! A fierce heroine who reads banned books—my favorite kind of hero! And for book nerds like me, literary references abound in One Degree of Freedom, by Taryn Hutchison. Brilliantly conceptualized and beautifully written, and a coming-of-age tale set in the Cold War era, with characters you fall in love with and root (and cry) for. Adriana comes to understand her family's place in the world around her and makes incredibly difficult decisions as she recognizes and stands for her own beliefs. Meticulous research and excellent writing immerse readers in the setting and show life during the times, as Adriana and her friends travel on their journey. -Kim Childress, Book Editor, Girls' Life Magazine Is there a teenage girl anywhere in this world who would not be tantalized by a novel in which a passageway through a wardrobe opens into a hidden room filled with stacks of forbidden novels? One Degree of Freedom by Taryn Hutchison is that book and the author is a transplant from San Francisco to Morganton. Her spunky heroine is 15-year-old Adriana Nicu, who lives in the proscribed world of Bucharest, Romania, in the year 1987. Under the rule of Communist president Nicolae Ceaușescu, Adriana's future — becoming an engineer — is locked in place. But didn't Leonard Cohen tell us there's a crack in everything — that that's how the light gets in? Just wait until Adriana sees the crack in the concrete block, begins to tug and pulls out a metal box. Spellbinding and inspiring. -Dannye Romine Powell, Charlotte Observer Books Editor Taryn Hutchison has vividly brought to life one of our modern world's most challenging decades, set in a country so few of us learn about or experience. Through the eyes of teenagers Adriana, Gabi and their friends, readers are plunged into Cold War-era Romania in this compelling narrative that grabs you from its first pages. Government spies, family bonds, hidden rooms, fierce friendships, the search for faith, childhood rebellion ... it's a book that will draw in and enlighten YA readers while reviving nostalgia and longing among older generations. Hutchison deftly weaves hope among darkness, reminding us that all we have to do is return to the stories where our heroes exist, so that we can become the heroes of our own lives. -Catherine Campbell, author, editor & essayist (Writers Digest, NYT) Rich with Romanian culture and vibrant imagination, One Degree of Freedom explores the liberation found in books and how fiction often reflects its readers. Hutchison crafts an immersive read perfect for fans of historical and classic literature, seamlessly blending nostalgia with relevant truths, not to mention an abundance of secret tunnels, wardrobes, and dusty reading nooks. This novel is sure to captivate booklovers of all ages. -Caroline George, author of award-winning Dearest Josephine Enchanting and captivating, One Degree of Freedom is a novel I could not put down. Taryn R. Hutchison transports readers into 1980s Romania with visceral clarity and hope-filled resonance. Fans of classic authors like Louisa May Alcott and current YA historical greats, like Stephanie Morrill, will fall in love with Hutchison's honest and sincere voice. -Tara K. Ross, author of Fade to White , and cohost of The Hope Prose Podcast Sometimes it only takes one small act to unchain a captive mind. Taryn R. Hutchison always knew she wanted to write historical fiction, but she put that on hold to pursue other things she loved. After traveling the world, her childhood dream of becoming a writer began to beckon. She wrote a memoir, We Wait You, about her ten years living in Eastern Europe, and it was translated into Romanian. This is her debut novel.