Overview

"In trying to reunite with her mother, Winston discovers the many meanings of family and finds friendship in an unexpected place in this ""warm, humorous, and poignant story"" (Publishers Weekly) from the author of Waiting, which Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, called ""exceptional"" and Glimpse, which Booklist called ""gripping."" Life is just fine for fourteen-year-old Winston. She loves her dog, Thelma, and although she never knew her dad, and her mom left ten years ago in search of Hollywood fame, Winston has family with Nanny, who isn't old at all! But a ""just fine"" life gets a lot more exciting when a letter arrives from Skye Harper, aka Judith Fletcher, aka Winston's mother. She needs help, and Nanny says the best way to give it is to take a cross-country road trip--in a ""borrowed"" motor home--to go find Mama once and for all. Winston's not so sure about this plan, but with a cute stowaway named Steve along for company and an adventure on the horizon, this is sure to be a summer to remember."

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9781481400336

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When Winston was four, her mother left to find fame in Hollywood, leaving Winston in the care of her grandmother. Nanny is the only family Winston has known, and she is okay with that, but when they receive a postcard from the estranged Judith Fletcher, now known as Skye Harper, asking them to come get her from Las Vegas, Nanny jumps at the chance to have her daughter back. Nanny decides to steal her neighbor's RV and--along with Winston, their dog, and a rooster--sets off on a cross-country road trip to bring Skye Harper home. While on the road, they discover that Winston's neighbor crush has stowed away in the RV. Through short chapters, Winston's confusion over growing up, falling in love, and discovering her family is seamlessly woven into an emotional coming-of-age story. With a balance of family drama and humor, Winston's journey never feels forced, and the end, while almost too happy, flows nicely with the plot. A lovely addition to a collection of family stories.--May 2014 Booklist Online Winston has lived in Florida with her grandmother, Nanny, ever since her mother took off headed west, for California, and for fame. Now 15, Winston hasn't seen her mother in more than a decade; after she gets a letter from Momma asking for help ( What do you 2 say about comming to git me? ), Nanny borrows her business partner's motor home for the trip to Las Vegas, only to find out that his son, Steve, is asleep inside. Williams's (Waiting) warm, humorous, and poignant story unfolds against the backdrop of the 1972 Munich Olympics and Mark Spitz's seven gold medals; Winston herself is a funny, strong and sensitive heroine with dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer. As the story progresses, the short chapters (sometimes as short as a single line of text) become a powerful plot device that strengthens Winston's voice, provides moments of laugh-out-loud humor, and builds intense emotion across all the characters, especially as romance grows between Steve and Winston. Ages 12-up. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. (May)--Publishers Weekly, 6/2/14

When Winston was four, her mother left to find fame in Hollywood, leaving Winston in the care of her grandmother. Nanny is the only family Winston has known, and she is okay with that, but when they receive a postcard from the estranged Judith Fletcher, now known as Skye Harper, asking them to come get her from Las Vegas, Nanny jumps at the chance to have her daughter back. Nanny decides to steal her neighbor's RV and--along with Winston, their dog, and a rooster--sets off on a cross-country road trip to bring Skye Harper home. While on the road, they discover that Winston's neighbor crush has stowed away in the RV. Through short chapters, Winston's confusion over growing up, falling in love, and discovering her family is seamlessly woven into an emotional coming-of-age story. With a balance of family drama and humor, Winston's journey never feels forced, and the end, while almost too happy, flows nicely with the plot. A lovely addition to a collection of family stories.--May 2014 Booklist Online

Author Information

Carol Lynch Williams is a PEN Award-winning author of more than a dozen books and a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program. Carol facilitates the children's writing conferences at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. She lives in Utah with her family. Visit her at CarolLynchWilliams.com.

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