by Laura McNeal
First published 2011
Pearl DeWitt spends her days among the 900 avocado trees on her uncle's grove in Fallbrook, California. At fifteen, she barely notices the migrant workers who come and go until Amiel arrives. This quiet boy works alongside the others but keeps his distance from everyone. He cannot speak, fears immigration officers, and carries secrets Pearl cannot yet understand. She finds herself watching him, drawn to his mysterious silence and the careful way he moves through his days. When Pearl finally approaches Amiel, she discovers a connection that crosses the barriers of language and circumstance. Then wildfires sweep through their sun-soaked valley, threatening everything they know. The flames force Pearl and Amiel together as they face dangers that will test not only their survival but the fragile bond growing between them. In a landscape where fear and hope intertwine like smoke and sky, Pearl must choose how far she will go to protect someone the world tells her to ignore.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: California, Fallbrook
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Paperback · Ember
Content warnings: anxiety, depression