About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with the feeling of being an outsider or is navigating the isolating waters of intense grief. Janet Lunn's evocative novel follows fifteen year old Mary Urquhart as she leaves her Scottish Highland home for the rugged wilderness of Upper Canada in the 1800s. Guided by a psychic 'second sight' that her new community views with suspicion, Mary must face the devastating reality of a lost loved one while carving out an identity in a world that fears her unique gifts. It is a sophisticated exploration of resilience and the struggle to belong. Parents will find it an excellent bridge for discussing how we handle cultural misunderstandings and the importance of staying true to oneself even when faced with social rejection. While it touches on heavy themes like suicide and loneliness, the prose is lyrical and the emotional resolution is grounded and realistic for the 12 to 16 age range.
