Kate Tapert is caught between two consuming passions: a drive to capture on canvas the austere beauty of her rural Upper Peninsula hometown of Larch, Mich., and a devotion to her mother. In Larch, Kate and her mom eke out a loving if improvident life together in a tiny trailer after being abandoned by Kate's father, celebrated artist Dalton Quinn, years ago. Kate's portfolio and drive have netted her a full-tuition scholarship to art college in Detroit, but housing is not included. Kate resolves to stay with Dalton, even though her letters asking permission to live with him have gone unanswered. The Dalton Kate discovers is near death and desperately trying to complete work for a final retrospective in New York, forcing a choice between following in her father's footsteps—relinquishing family ties for a chance at fame and professional fulfillment—or doing the right thing by caring for and getting to know Dalton at last, on her own terms. Kate's journey from selfishness to selflessness and back to the healthy middle path is quietly touching, if not as powerfully moving as it could be. (Fiction. 12 & up)
