Nancy Tucker’s debut novel, The First Day of Spring (2021) challenges preconceptions and prejudices against children who commit crimes.

In this story, we follow Chrissie and her experiences of the criminal justice system after she is found guilty of murdering a young boy. Chrissie is just eight-years-old at the time.

Blurb on the back:

Eight-year-old Chrissie has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbert feeling in her belly. She doesn’t get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.

Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried about her parenting skills, terrified that the social services are about to take Molly away.

That’s when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it’s clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago…

Yes, this story is disturbing, but the more we discover about Chrissie’s childhood, the more compassion we feel for her, in spite of the terrible crime she commits. This is a tale of redemption, of neglect, and of remorse.

In many ways, this reminds me of When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins, which explores similar themes; specifically, children surviving neglectful parents, and murder committed by children.

The First Day of Spring is both compelling and compassionate, and will keep you engaged.