We have all seen the pictures, heard the stories, and witnessed the crisis at the southern border of the United States. In the face of an influx of immigrants, particularly children and families, Customs and Border Patrol has housed children in wire-enclosures, providing only an aluminum blanket to sleep under and little to no access to other basic necessities. It is difficult to watch, especially when one is not certain about how to assist.

As writers, we often wonder what we can do to make a difference in the world. Participating in projects like YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE is one of those things we can do – putting our pens and keyboards to work for a good cause, and giving writers and readers an opportunity to act. All profits from the sale of YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE will be donated to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a non-profit charity who has led the fight in making sure that immigrants in detention centers have access to legal protection, ensuring that those detained can gain access to basic goods and services.

The stories in YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE reach across genre borders, touching on themes of family, immigration, hardship, and times of darkness and desperation; but, most important, deliver a sense of hope, shining a light – however small – in the darkness.

Includes stories by Leslie Claire Walker, Lauryn Christopher, Kate Pavelle, V. Castro, S.L. Edwards, Sam Schreiber, Michael Brueggeman, Barbara G.Tarn, James Matthew Byers, Brooke Warra, Diana Deverell, Chris Abela, Erica Ruppert, Dashiell Crowe, E.B. Wheeler, Sarah Barrett, Fulvio Gatti, and Emma Lee. Edited by Lyn Worthen