FAR FROM THE OCEAN'S EDGE

In Carnwath’s middle-grade novel, a young girl hopes to finally meet her father when she visits her mother’s hometown for the first time.

Twelve-year-old Skye Stewart catalogues sea creatures in her home on an island off the coast of Maine, and in the back of her notebook, she composes a list of everything she knows about her dad, whom she’s never known. When her grandmother dislocates her shoulder and needs help on the ranch, Skye and her mother, Sara, drive to Dillon, Wyoming. Skye’s never been there before, and her maternal grandfather, who hasn’t been on speaking terms with Sara for many years, is a stranger to her. The girl quickly makes friends with Tuck Foster, the 9-year-old son of ranch handNate; they introduce Skye to the horses there and teach her to ride. She quickly enlists Tuck in her quest to find her dad, whom she’s convinced has been living in Dillon all this time. Along the way, she learns more about her mother’s history, her grandfather’s problems, and what it means to be a part of a bigger family. Skye is a relatable character, often overcoming her fears to try new things. Readers may wish, though, that the book spent more time on Skye’s connection to her father, before and after his identity is revealed. Still, Carnwath should be applauded for her deft depiction of a child caught up in fraught family dynamics. Skye’s view of her mother and grandfather’s relationship is revealing, as when Sara notes, “he was a good father when I was young…and I knew that when I chose…to be an artist instead of a rancher—he’d likely never get over it.” Overall, the novel offers an important lesson about accepting people for who they are, rather than who we’d like them to be.

Curious and willful kids will identify with Skye and enjoy her journey in this coming-of-age tale.