I've read this book more than once in the span of a few months, gushed about it to MANY people in person and online, and I still can't stop thinking about this powerful novel in verse. As an added bonus, the cover is just as breath-taking as the contents!
Two years after Moth’s family is killed in a car accident, she meets a new classmate, Sani. Both feeling abandoned and uprooted, they set out on a summer road trip to reconnect with those roots and the ghosts they left behind. As they head towards Sani's birthplace in Navajo Nation, Four Corners, New Mexico, their trip takes them through past traumas, both personal and generational. They also come to learn more about each other and themselves through sharing memories, stories, and music. Can Sani help Moth to dance again? Can Moth help Sani to find his voice again? As Moth puts it..."A road trip is a thing you go on & come back different" (pg. 76).
I found this book to be heart-breaking, lyrical, and full of wisdom and hope. The poems really brought the themes to life. If you pick this up, you can expect to encounter themes of grief and guilt, ancestors and inheritance, story and song. In short, this book is pretty brilliant. If you need further convincing, this book has also won several notable awards and honorable mentions, including being a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature (a very fancy award)!
This deeply impressive novel in verse is sure to draw you in and have you thinking about Moth and Sani long past you've finished reading. I know I have been.