by Sara Maurer
First published 2026
Everett Lindt works the sheep farm his family owns near Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. While other teenagers dream of escape from their border town, Everett plans to expand the herd and restore the old homestead that overlooks his land. He meets Mary, whose Coast Guard father moved the family frequently, and falls hard for this girl who refuses to be tied down. When Mary becomes pregnant, Everett believes she will finally stay with him. Mary sees only another trap in a place where young people bale hay in summer heat and crowd through school hallways like livestock in winter cold. With few options for reproductive care in their remote location, Everett and Mary find a solution that threatens to destroy more than their relationship. Sara Maurer writes about two young people whose conflicting dreams collide in a landscape both beautiful and unforgiving.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, american-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: bittersweet, emotionally-complex, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: forced-proximity, second-chance, star-crossed-lovers
Setting: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, border town
Period: contemporary
288 pages · Paperback · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: medical-trauma, pregnancy-loss