THE SEA IN WINTER
In this evocative and heartwarming novel for readers who loved The Thing About Jellyfish, the author of I Can Make This Promise tells the story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again.
It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.
Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?
An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book!
A Finalist for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award!
Washington State Representative at the National Book Festival!
Top 10 in the Winter 2020-2021 Kids’ Indie Next List!
A Junior Library Guild Selection!
A School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, and American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) Best Book of 2021!
A Politics and Prose Children & Teens Favorite of 2021!
An Indigo Books Best Kids Book of the Year!
★ “This meditative story about a middle school girl’s courageous journey toward healing follows a family as they navigate the complexities of supporting a tween’s life-changing injury. In her second novel, Day offers a heartening glimpse into the immense patience and love required to endure limitations, build strength, and repair damage. An insightful, stirring read about healing and resilience.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “A contemplative and emotional story of resilience and reinvention whose dedication sums it up well: ‘To anyone who needs a reminder that pain is temporary.’” —Publishers Weekly
★ “A refreshing and moving story of grief and healing from one of middle grade’s brightest rising stars.” —BookPage
“This thoughtful, honest sophomore novel invites readers to reckon with life’s messy complexities while reassuring them that every ending brings the seeds of new beginnings.” —Shelf Awareness
"Most of Maisie’s tale is compressed into a period of several days over winter break, and as readers share her inner monologue, they’re keenly aware that failure to follow professional advice and accept the support of teachers, family, and friends (who have demonstrably not deserted her) is turning her into her own worst enemy. Day lifts the narrative beyond the tribulations of another angsty tween heroine by offering an eminently reasonable path forward, paved with physical healing, emotional therapy, and reconnection with friends." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Day’s contemplative #OwnVoices novel adeptly explores Maisie’s grief and identity, both as a dancer and as a Native American, with the latter organically highlighting variations within Native cultures. An inaugural title of the Native-centered imprint Heartdrum, this finds strength and beauty in life’s quiet moments and opportunity in the unexpected." —Booklist