How can we be so terrible to the people we care about?
That’s the haunting question at the heart of Lulu James’s Palm Tree Shadow, a play about friendship, identity, and the uneasy moments that change us forever.
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In our latest Author Insights feature, Lulu opens up about the real-life trip that inspired the play—a Florida getaway that began as a celebration and ended as a turning point. In her reflection, she explores how writing the play became a way to make sense of betrayal, confusion, and transformation.
Readers will find a deeply honest exploration of what it means to grow apart from people we once trusted—and how change, however painful, can lead to clarity and strength.
Each Author Insights article also includes Classroom Connections: short, ready-to-use discussion and writing prompts that help students engage with the play on a personal and analytical level. Teachers can use them to spark reflection on themes like duality in friendship, the pain of misunderstanding, and journeys toward self-understanding.