Before 22 is a collection of short stories and poetry that bring together sentiments of youth and hope and innocence, reminding us of a time within all of us when the world was new and bursting with possibility. In An American Tradition, the struggles of an immigrant family at the turn of the last century are viewed through the lens of a single day, Thanksgiving Day. In Winter’s End, an orphaned little girl stumbles on a new friend, a long buried secret, and grows to fulfill her life’s purpose while aiding others in the resolution of a tragedy. The volume is filled out with samples of poetry grappling with such complexities as time and change and what it means to exist. Touching and inspirational, Before 22 presents a young but by no means feeble voice.