The Girl From Everywhere
Heidi Heilig
Greenwillow Books, Imprint of Harper Collins
Paperback, 464 Pages
Trigger Warnings: Substance abuse, racial comments, emotional abuse
About the author: Heidi Heilig grew up in Hawaii before moving to New York City where she got an MFA from New York University in Musical Theatre Writing. Her favorite thing as she says, outside of writing, is travel. She has “Haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko’olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in Africa while lions roared in the dark.” Visit author’s website to learn more!
“Sometimes a person has to let go of something to take hold of something else. You always have to choose what’s more important.”
Time traveling pirates? Sign me up any day. The Girl from Everywhere brings us to a new kind of a pirate, one who can Navigate not only the sea, but time and space as well. Into the past, into a fantasy world—anywhere with an authentic map, Nix and her father, as Navigators, can sail there. Set in 19th century Hawaii, Nix takes us on a journey as she discovers what her life could have been like if she grew up on the islands of Hawaii, the life her father is trying to go back to. She has a choice to make: continue as she always has, trying to make her father happy again, even at the risk of her own life, or choose to Navigate her own path, wherever the maps may take her?
This was one of the best reads of the year for me. I love a good pirate story, but this novel gave it a twist, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Rich with characters who made me laugh, cry, and pulled at heart strings I didn’t even know I had, I will never forget them. Nix, her father, Kashmir—the charming, witty, crewmate and best friend of Nix—and other characters journeys throughout this novel redefine what it means to go on a journey of self-discovery, learn how to love someone, and how to let someone go. I am eagerly looking forward to a chance to read the sequel, The Ship Beyond Time, as soon as I can.
PRR Editor, Sierra Jackson
