Publishers Weekly
★ 02/24/2014
In a lovely and captivating debut, Holczer crafts a tender story of an orphaned girl left with a grandmother she resents in a town that holds the secrets of her family’s past. Twelve-year-old Grace is no stranger to new places: her wayward, artistic mother seemed to uproot them every few months without explanation. After Grace’s mother dies in a drowning accident, Grace is expected to move in with a grandmother she doesn’t know or trust, as she struggles to understand the loss of her mother, discover her family’s history, and follow a trail of clues she’s certain her mother left for her. Holczer writes with depth, heart, and a poetic lilt (“I shivered in my sleeping bag, feeling the chill of the river, and wondered if my dreams were bringing me one piece of Mama’s death at a time”), making readers feel the same longing ache as Grace. Despite a lack of suspenseful or action-packed scenes, Grace’s story and Holczer’s nuanced characters engage from beginning to end. Ages 10–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (May)
From the Publisher
* "A lovely and captivating debut . . . nuanced characters engage from beginning to end."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Holczer expertly crafts the characters and dialogue to create a story readers will identify with, and thoroughly enjoy."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Grace's surprising discoveries about herself, her family, her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgivenes, are engrossing."—Kirkus Reviews
"Tracy Holczer's story is a lyric about love and loss and not being able to find your future until you've uncovered your past."—Newbery winning author Richard Peck
"Grace's story will steal your heart as she travels toward friendship, love and a place to belong."—Newbery Honor winning author Patricia Reilly Giff
"A lovely story of longing for closeness, and learning about what it means to be family. Poetic and tender."—Newbery Honor winning author Margarita Engle
— various
various
* "A lovely and captivating debut . . . nuanced characters engage from beginning to end."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
• "Holczer expertly crafts the characters and dialogue to create a story readers will identify with, and thoroughly enjoy."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Grace's surprising discoveries about herself, her family, her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgivenes, are engrossing."—Kirkus Reviews
"Tracy Holczer's story is a lyric about love and loss and not being able to find your future until you've uncovered your past."—Newbery winning author Richard Peck
"Grace's story will steal your heart as she travels toward friendship, love and a place to belong."—Newbery Honor winning author Patricia Reilly Giff
"A lovely story of longing for closeness, adn learning about what it means to be family. Poetic and tender."—Newbery Honor winning author Margarita Engle
Kirkus Reviews
2014-03-31
In this debut novel, Holczer presents a tender, transformative exploration of family, loss and reconciliation. Grace has been moving all over California with Mama, looking for the perfect home. She is sure they have found it in Hood, so when Mama suggests they uproot, Grace puts her foot down. On that night, Mama dies. Now Grace is living with her estranged Grandma—the very same woman who sent Mama away when she was pregnant with Grace. Grace is determined to make life impossible so Grandma will send her away, too. Grace's voice is smart and observant; her sadness is palpable. Despite her resistance, Grace is assisted through her grief by a cast of colorful, original characters, including her Grandma, who reminds Grace in many ways of Mama. And Grandma, just like Mama always did whenever they moved to a new town, has set up a treasure hunt for Grace in hopes of leading her, and welcoming her, home. The phrasing and the images are beautiful and rich. If the pace begins to lag a bit, young readers invested in the emotional journey will not mind. Grace's surprising discoveries about herself, her family, and her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgiveness, are engrossing. (Fiction. 10-14)
