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The title of Laura Zimmermann's book is a phrase which some, maybe all, parents use: “Just Do This One Thing For Me.” Early in the novel, as Drew explains her mother Heidi uses it a lot.     

On a recent summer morning Zimmermann sat on a park bench near Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. As cyclists whizzed by on the nearby bike trail, it was a far cry from the novel's setting in snowbound small town Wisconsin in late December. 

It's there Heidi tells Drew, her ultra-responsible, list-writing, detail-oriented daughter, she has exciting news. Justin Timberlake is appearing at a New Years concert in Mexico City in just a few days. It may be Heidi's last chance ever to see her teen-age crush. So she's heading south. Like, now.  

You’ve likely heard of capable kids who are basically the adults in their family. That's definitely true of Drew, the central character of Minneapolis writer Laura Zimmermann's darkly humorous young adult novel 'Just do this one thing for me.' Drew is the 17-year-old daughter of an exceptionally irresponsible mother who has an unending love for Justin Timberlake, and an unhealthy appetite for scams and “light social security fraud.”

Listen to Laura Zimmermann read an extract from "Just do this one thing for me"

Heidi is a single mom. So she needs just one thing from Drew. Well, two things actually: take care of her antisocial sister Carna and her unworldly brother Lock. 

Oh, and keep the family business going while she is away. 

“Her mother has been juggling some scams, and light Social Security fraud,” said Zimmermann. “You know, it turns out there is no 'light' Social Security fraud. It's all felony level fraud.”

The scams involve five star online reviews Heidi writes for poor quality, and possibly illegal, knock-off products sent to her by shady manufacturers. She turns the samples they send into cash. The felony fraud involves Drew's late grandmother. Heidi is still claiming her government benefits. 

Drew finds herself writing reviews for off brand air pods "Five stars: sound great and don't fall out unless you sneeze"

But when a Social Security Administration investigator unexpectedly turns up on the doorstep she has to start coming up with excuses for Heidi's absence and that of her long cremated grandmother. 

“When Heidi fails to return from her trip on time, that leaves the kids to figure out in an increasingly elaborate and morally compromising ways how to keep all of these side hustles going and to keep their mother's disappearance a secret,” said Zimmermann. “Against all of that Drew is also trying to get accepted into the University of Wisconsin.”

‘Powerful without necessarily being pretty’ 

It becomes a wild ride and all in the middle of a bone-chilling winter.   

When asked where this story came from Zimmermann said if was inspired by anything in her own life she would be in big trouble. She laughs that the search history on her computer involves some unsavory subjects.

She really just wanted to tell a tale of siblings, and especially about the bonds between sisters.

“They are some of the most defining and powerful relationships in our lives. And they're powerful without necessarily being pretty.”

Zimmermann stresses she's not trying to teach any lessons with her book. Young readers can smell that a mile away she says. She wants them to figure it out for themselves. 

Zimmermann will launch “Just Do This One Thing For Me” at the 

 at 6.30 p.m. Wednesday evening. It's free, but people are asked to register in advance. She will also appear locally at the 

The author says appearing before an audience is important to her. A writer's life can be isolating, and she has taken part in local storytelling events including the Moth, reveling in audience reactions.

“I like writing and then sending that off into the world. But to be able to kind of be there in the presence and get the energy get energy from the people hearing the story is really its lifeblood, I think,” Zimmermann said.

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Euan Kerr

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You’ve likely heard of capable kids who are basically the adults in their family. That's definitely true of Drew, the central character of Minneapolis writer Laura Zimmermann's darkly humorous new young adult novel “Just Do This One Thing For Me.” 

Minneapolis writer weaves scams, sibling ties into new novel

Woman poses next to separate photo of book cover

Minneapolis writer weaves scams, sibling ties into new novel

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