In this eye catching book called Born Blue by Han Nolan, a 5 year old girl named Janie is the main character. She’s been in and out of foster homes because her mom is a drug addict. Finally she got stuck with one family, Patsy and Pete. She meets a young boy there about 2 years older than her. He’s a black little boy named Harmon. Harmon introduces Janie a little white girl who doesn’t speak proper English, the cassette tapes he listens to. They listened to what they call “The ladies”, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Odetta, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James, Billie Holiday, and Roberta Flack. Etta James soon became Janie’s favorite. After hearing “The ladies”, Janie decided that she wanted to be a singer and Harmon wanted to be a dancer. Three years went by and Janie and Harmon were the best of friends. A family came to adopt Harmon, and Janie thought that was the end of her singing career but most of all she wouldn’t be able to see Harmon again so she was worried. Within a week Harmon was out of that house and moving in with his new family Mr. and Mrs. James. Janie’s life had just become complicated.

Janie didn’t care about anybody or what they thought of her. She figured that if people didn’t care about her then why care about them. When it comes to loving someone or someone loving Janie, she’s blind. Later on in the story Janie decides to change her name to Leshaya, a name she got from her case workers daughter. Her case worker, Doris’s daughter died and Leshaya were her name. Janie came to a conclusion that that would be her name for the rest of her life. She didn’t have a middle or last name just the first. Leshaya grew up to be a wild girl. She didn’t have the proper care so she just grew up to be the way she is. Not a care in the world for anyone or anything she does. I can give it to her though, she can really sing. She thinks singing can get her out of the situation she’s in. She’ll learn the hard way to get there.

Leshaya has been living with a woman named Liz and her boyfriend, Mitch who kidnapped her at 8 years old. Her mom sold her for drugs. Leshaya didn’t complain about it because she didn’t want to be in foster care anymore. She lived with them until she was 13 years old. When they go to jail one day Leshaya goes to Mitch’s stash and takes all the money he had and goes to Harmon’s house. Her and Harmon seen each other in the mall a few weeks back and he gave her the address and number. When she arrives Harmon looks shocked. He’s happier then Leshaya thinks. Leshaya stays there for a while and messed everything up. As you know Leshaya doesn’t care about any one but herself so she steals from Harmon and Mrs. James. They don’t trust her anymore so she figures she needs to run away.

Leshaya has been through a lot since she left the James’s house. She lost her virginity to some guy she just met in one night. He turned out to be her baby’s daddy. It’s sad because she first started to do drugs and drink that same night and some guy took advantage of her and got her pregnant. She’s only 13 years old and has nowhere to stay. She’ll do anything to be a singer so she takes her baby to Harmon and says he’s the father. Deep down Leshaya really does care about others; she just doesn’t show because of what her mom did to her. In the end Leshaya doesn’t even become a singer. All the stuff she’s done taught her a lesson, do things the right way and the right way will do for you.