First published 2023
Sam is seven and lives in Beverly, Massachusetts with her struggling mother. Her father visits rarely. While other girls at school wear the right jeans and follow rules, Sam cares only about climbing. She scales the tallest trees and building walls, finding freedom in high places. Her mother pushes her to study hard for a secure future, but Sam has no interest in comfort or security. As a teenager, Sam begins to question herself. She wants attention but also wants to vanish. Her climbing coach shows interest in her that becomes more complex than she expects. She feels angry about her father's unpredictable visits, then mourns when he dies. She fights against her mother's plans for her future even as adulthood approaches. Through Sam's journey from childhood to womanhood, Goodman explores how a girl's joy and sense of belonging shift as she grows up.
Genres: literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Beverly, Massachusetts
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Paperback · Dial Press Trade Paperback