by Lauren Wolk
First published 2025
Lucretia Sanderson arrives on Candle Island with her mother, seeking refuge from tragedy and unwanted attention. Her father died in a car accident, and journalists won't leave her artist mother alone. The small Maine island offers 986 summer residents but only 315 in winter. Lucretia fills her days painting, wandering the rocky coastline, and nursing an orphaned osprey chick back to health. But her new home holds mysteries. She discovers a hidden room and encounters a boy whose singing voice captivates her. The island's secrets pull at Lucretia like the powerful tides surrounding the shore. As she navigates grief and new relationships, Lucretia must learn to trust her own artistic voice while healing from loss.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief, new-home
Setting: Candle Island, Maine
Period: 21st-century
352 pages · Hardcover · Dutton Books for Young Readers