It’s been a while since I read a book that transported me fully into a story.  I saw this author accept the Indie Author Project Best YA Book for the State of Texas and speak with such genuine appreciation for her reading audience that I could not wait to start the book.

Let’s start with the vibrant cover; oh my,  it’s even better in person and so eye-catching that I could just sit and stare at that but luckily, I opened the cover, and the richness that unfolded with each page brought me reading bliss.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story but there are twists and turns that surprised and delighted me.  If I could give 6 stars – I would.  This is storytelling at it’s best. I think you’ll love it whether you are 12 or 92.

Thursday, I was sitting at lunch telling my husband about the story (poor man he hears a lot of stories) but he commented that with this telling, I was smiling and laughing, and my face was filled with delight. And that feeling remains even after finishing the book.

For more about this author and all her books, CLICK HERE.

Incredibly this book is available to read for free from Kindle Unlimited – but do yourself a favor and buy the paperback.  It’s a book you will want to keep!

SUMMARY

In a time when hardship and famine rule the country, one boy finds an oasis of magic and the strength to fight for it.

The Dust Bowl uprooted a lot of families and orphaned even more children. No one knows this better than Nat, a teenager who rides the rails from town to town looking for work. After helping a girl accused of witchcraft, Nat stumbles upon a home for wayward children run by a vibrant woman named Camille. She takes in children who have been thrown away and teaches them how to use their untapped potential to do extraordinary things…like magic.

In this crazy new place, there are wonders he’s never imagined possible. People who can paint portraits of ghosts, walk through walls, and hide windmills in thin air. But in a time of starvation and fear, Camille’s magical home comes under attack from people who fear and discriminate against her. It is up to Nat and the other children to rally behind Camille to save their oasis in the dust from utter ruin.