Nova: The Courage to Rise charts the exploration and inner growth journey of two seventeen-year-old girls: down-to-earth Aurora and quirky Stella. Both grew up without her mother—Aurora in the foster system, Stella raised by her grandfather. Their search for mothering messages in the stars while they’re on an inner-city camping adventure is sparked by a torn bit of a discarded research paper. A quest is initiated.

 Aurora and Stella discover self-love and self-worth while learning the value of being part of a community working toward a greater good. When they can’t afford to recharge the data on their phones, they’re surprised to find deeper connections with themselves, each other, and those around them. They learn about the importance of empathy and kindness, authenticity and trustworthiness, positive self-talk and body image, new ways to think about faith, and that they can choose to think differently about their past to build a meaningful future.

While they’re questlisting, a surprising encounter helps Aurora answer questions about what happened to her mother—answers she’s not sure she’s ready to hear. And Stella’s journey puts her on an unexpected path: that of being a leadership resource for other young women just like her who are searching for themselves and a better life.