First published 2024
Sylvia Doe has no memory of her birth family or real surname. The Highground Home for Children in North Carolina's mountains has housed her since childhood. Each time administrators arrange foster placements in the city, she escapes back to Kitty Hawk, her horse companion, and the wild herd where she belongs. Hurricane Jessamine strikes the remote valley with devastating floods. Sylvia races to rescue her horses as the waters rise. Strange objects drift past in the torrent: brilliant gems and displaced wild animals that seem out of place and time. Then she discovers an unconscious boy floating downstream. She pulls him to safety, but his presence raises urgent questions. Who is this mysterious stranger, and why does she feel an immediate bond with him? Their shared adventure will force Sylvia to confront not only the flood's dangers but also the deeper mystery of her own origins and the powerful connection drawing her to this boy from nowhere.
Genres: adventure, mystery, fantasy, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, mystery-box
Setting: North Carolina, Kitty Hawk
Period: Contemporary
320 pages · Hardcover · Disney Hyperion