Kimberly de Witte
AUTHOR & Book Lover
Praise for After Charlie
After Charlie is a beautifully-written book about grief, family, growing up and how we are stronger together.
Deborah Ellis, author of The Breadwinner series and The Outsmarters
This debut novel resonates throughout with the authenticity of a family experience and an immersive historical setting…the reader will feel a personal connection to Dorrie as she navigates through grief and healing. The author’s note mentions that stories are the perfect place for young readers to explore big feelings, and I couldn’t agree more…this book can spark much needed conversations with educators and parents. An honest, fast-moving debut that explores difficult themes with a tender heart and a memorable protagonist…along with an authentic taste of life in 1930’s Virginia.
Wesley King, author of OCDaniel and Benny on the Case
After Charlie is filled with emotion and heart as a young girl learns how to deal with grief. With a well-drawn setting, and a big family of well-drawn characters, this novel will have young audiences thinking about loss and love.
Lorna Schulz Nicholson, author of When You Least Expect It
Even though Dorrie often felt invisible as the youngest of seven, one brother always made her feel seen, made her feel special. Charlie was her world. And then he was gone.
Dorrie saw more than most people, including the boy who took away her big brother. But why would anyone listen to her testimony? She was just a ten-year-old girl and fully invisible now … after Charlie.
Set in small-town Virginia during the Great Depression and inspired by real-life events, After Charlie is a coming-of-age story of resilience, friendship, and inner strength in the face of injustice, loss, and change.
After Charlie is now available at Friesen Press and all major book outlets
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(c) 2026 by Kimberly de Witte
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