The New York Times Book Review - Catherine Hong
You could say that human history features two types of people: those who stay and those who leave. Anderson's…moody, mesmerizing novel, an unusual hybrid of science fiction and historical fiction, is devoted to the restless souls who want to get the heck out…It's hard to forget Catherine's parched Dust Bowl farm, where even the morning toast and eggs are coated with grit, and fans of futuristic fiction will be drawn to Anderson's vision of flooded cities, space travel and inventions like the KitchenLite, used to print edible eggs and bacon.
Publishers Weekly
★ 04/17/2017
Anderson (The Vanishing Season) interweaves the stories of three tenacious young women in this sprawling saga. In 2065, orphan Adri Ortiz has been accepted into a prestigious Mars colony program, where she will work to create a livable extraterrestrial world. In the weeks before relocation, she is set up to live with a long-lost relative, a lively and opinionated centenarian in Kansas. After discovering a cryptic postcard that dates back to the 1920s, Adri is drawn into a mystery involving an ancient tortoise—still alive and well—and a mystery woman. In 1934, Catherine Goodspeed finds the same postcard among her mother’s possessions; Catherine’s journal recounts her worries about the discovery, her younger sister’s declining health, and the dust storms raging around her. And in 1919 England, Lenore Allstock writes letters to her estranged childhood friend as she mourns the death of her brother during WWI. Each character’s resilience and independence shines brightly, creating a thread that ties them together even before the intersections of their lives are fully revealed. Anderson’s piercing prose ensures that these remarkable women will leave a lasting mark on readers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (June)
From the Publisher
★ “Each character’s resilience and independence shines brightly, creating a thread that ties them together even before the intersections of their lives are fully revealed. Anderson’s piercing prose ensures that these remarkable women will leave a lasting mark on readers.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ “Deft, succinct, and ringing with emotion without ever dipping into sentimentality, Anderson’s novel is both intriguing and deeply satisfying.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “With quietly evocative writing, compellingly drawn characters, and captivating secrets to unearth, this thought-provoking, lyrical novel explores the importance of pinning down the past before launching into the mystery of the future.” — Booklist (starred review)
★ “Anderson allows her characters to shine through, with each distinct, nuanced, and memorable.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
★ “Anderson deftly tackles love, friendship, and grief in this touching exploration of resilience and hope. A must-have for all YA collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“This charming coming-of-age tale will have readers hooked from beginning to end.” — BookPage.com
“Lyrically written, this moving novel will touch the heart of any teen who has questioned the importance of their life.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
BookPage.com
This charming coming-of-age tale will have readers hooked from beginning to end.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Lyrically written, this moving novel will touch the heart of any teen who has questioned the importance of their life.
Booklist (starred review)
★ “With quietly evocative writing, compellingly drawn characters, and captivating secrets to unearth, this thought-provoking, lyrical novel explores the importance of pinning down the past before launching into the mystery of the future.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
★ “Anderson allows her characters to shine through, with each distinct, nuanced, and memorable.
New York Times
Mesmerizing.
School Library Journal
★ 04/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—Adri's, Catherine's, and Lenore's lives are intertwined but not in the way that one would think. Adri lives in 2065 Kansas, Catherine lives in 1930s Kansas, and Lenore lives in England in 1919. As Adri is preparing to go to Mars, she stays with her cousin in Kansas, where the training takes place. Upon settling in, she comes across letters written from Lenore to Beth. Through journals and, later, letters, Catherine narrates her own story of being in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. Told through straight prose, letters, and journal entries, the novel is engrossing and will engage even reluctant readers. This beautiful work expertly blends historical and futuristic fiction genres. The author threads mystery into each teen's story, keeping an even pace as she reveals secrets, betrayals, and heartbreak. Anderson deftly tackles love, friendship, and grief in this touching exploration of resilience and hope. VERDICT A must-have for all YA collections.—Erin Holt, Williamson City Public Library, Franklin, TN
JULY 2017 - AudioFile
A trio of narrators portrays the three heroines in this novel, which nicely integrates its subplots. Jorjeana Marie animates cold 17-year-old Adri, who is orphaned and bound for Mars in 2065. While living with a distant cousin, Adri discovers the writings of two ancestors, and her prickly detachment turns to curiosity, then caring. Bailey Carr reads the emotional journal of Cat, written during the Dustbowl era. Cat is desperate to save her sister from lung disease, passionately in love with the farm’s handyman, and angry with her mother for something Adri can’t figure out. That anger is linked to Leonore’s letters. Fiona Hardingham brings out Lenore’s vivacity and consuming grief after her brother’s death in WWI. Re-listening is recommended for this compelling audio with its evocative writing, parallel stories, and strong performances. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-03-15
In the year 2065, 16-year-old Adri Ortiz is one of the hardworking, talented few chosen to colonize Mars. Adri's an orphan with ties to no one, but the Latina teen understands the importance of interpersonal cooperation, so she doesn't complain when the head of the Mars program sends her to live with a long-forgotten cousin near the space center in Wichita for the months leading up to the launch. Lily, the cousin, is 107, passing into dementia, and more eager to know Adri than Adri is to know her. But Adri is intrigued by a postcard she finds in the farmhouse, written in 1920 and mentioning the Galápagos tortoise who still lives on the farm (and is herself named Galápagos). The story shifts to diary-keeper Catherine, a hardscrabble white teen living on the same farm in 1934, at the height of the Dust Bowl. Catherine's little sister Beezie is dying from dust pneumonia, and their mother, a widow, seems locked into helplessness. Again the story shifts—now it's England, 1919, and white Leonore is mourning both her brother's loss in the Great War and the friend who left for America years before, to whom she writes. Galápagos ties the stories together as all three young women fight for self-determination, love, their futures, and the realization that you can never move forward freely until you have something important to leave behind. Deft, succinct, and ringing with emotion without ever dipping into sentimentality, Anderson's novel is both intriguing and deeply satisfying. (Science/historical fiction. 12-adult)
