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* “A quiet story of perseverance and hope, exquisitely written with words and images that demand savoring.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*”Crowder blends gorgeously poetic language with precisely observed detail in this delicate fantasy of sisterly love tested by separation and illness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
*“Told in alternating chapters of the past fairy time and Luna’s present, this meandering tale highlights the power of sisterly love in a truly enchanting way.”—School Library Journal, starred review
Best Books of the Year, Kirkus Reviews • Starred Title, Best Books of the Year, Bank Street College • Best Books of the Year, New York Public Library • 100 Magnificent Children’s Books 2015, A Fuse 8 Production
Along a lively river, in a village raised on stilts, lives a girl named Luna. All her life she has heard tales of the time before the dam appeared, when sprites danced in the currents and no one got the mysterious wasting illness from a mouthful of river water.
These are just stories, though—no sensible person would believe in such things. Luna prefers to take her pole boat out with her best friend Benny, looking for adventure.
Beneath the waves is someone who might disagree. Perdita is a young water sprite, delighting in the wet splash and sparkle, and sad about the day her people will finally finish building their door to another world, in search of a place that humans have not yet discovered.
But when little Willow falls ill with the river sickness, everything changes. Luna is determined to find a cure for her beloved sister, no matter what it takes. Even if that means believing in magic . . .