The Notebook meets Love & Gelato in this heart-wrenching novel full of deep romance and searing tragedy (Kirkus Reviews) about a teen girl who travels to her late mothers majestic summertime home to learn of the romanceand the tragedythat changed her life forever.

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says hed rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know?

When Lexis grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexis mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Islandplus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go.

Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the magical hotel that rests alongside cozy cafs and bookshops. While following her mothers footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings.

But though the island may be beautiful, its hiding unfortunate secretssome with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters? [This book description comes from a different edition of this title. Please report any inaccuracies].

 

 

This book is aimed at children at US 7th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 12-18 years.

There are 576 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2022 by Simon & Schuster .

Cynthia Platt is a children's book editor and the author of several books for kids, including the picture books Grow, A Little Bit of Love, and Panda-Monium!, and the middle grade novel Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship . cynthiaplattbooks. com@C_E_Platt