Keri Vornadore

Pennies from Jude Keri Vornadore

Pennies from Jude asks, "Who's voice are you listening to?' Finding a penny means someone in Heaven is thinking of you, or that's how the old saying goes... For Jen Carroll the pennies begin showing up after she has a nightmare about her childhood friend, Jude. While investigating the mysterious link between Jude and the copper pennies, Jen struggles with reconciling her strict Catholic beliefs and the realization that she is gay. Jen begins asking questions: Who was this God of hers that punishes those who suffer so greatly and what does it all have to do with her misty childhood memories of Jude? She struggles to come to terms with her sexuality and religious beliefs. Why does it all seem so eerily familiar? Jude's warning of "They're gonna do it to you too!" rings in her ears as she searches for answers. In an age where being gay is increasingly accepted by society, many young LGBTQ people, like Jen, still carry around shame and guilt for who they are. Will she find what she seeks before she loses herself entirely?