In this moving and timeless story, award-winning author L. M. Elliott captures life on the U.S. homefront during World War II, weaving a rich portrait of a family reeling from loss and the chilling yet hopeful voyage of fighting for what matters, perfect for fans of The War That Saved My Life.
Days after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hitler declared war on the U.S., unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships. Suddenly the waves outside Louisa June's farm aren't for eel fishing or marveling at wild swans or learning to skull her family's boat--they're dangerous, swarming with hidden enemies.
Her oldest brothers' ships risk coming face-to-face with U-boats. Her sister leaves home to weld Liberty Boat hulls. And then her daddy, a tugboat captain, and her dearest brother, Butler, are caught in the crossfire.
Her mama has always swum in a sea of melancholy, but now she really needs Louisa June to find moments of beauty or inspiration to buoy her. Like sunshine-yellow daffodils, good books, or news accounts of daring rescues of torpedoed passengers.
Determined to help her mama and aching to combat Nazis herself, Louisa June turns to her quirky friend Emmett and the indomitable Cousin Belle, who has her own war stories--and a herd of cats--to share. In the end, after a perilous sail, Louisa June learns the greatest lifeline is love.
* A Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book * CDE Recommended Reading 6th-8th Grades * 2023 Capitol Choices * VLA Cardinal Cup for Historical Fiction * Bank Street College Best Book
With the war washing up on her Virginia shores, can one girl find the courage to hold her family together and fight for what matters?
- WWII Historical Fiction: Based on the little-known history of Nazi U-boats attacking American ships along the East Coast in 1942.
- The U.S. Homefront: Experience 1940s Tidewater Virginia, where Louisa June's sister leaves to weld Liberty Boat hulls and her community is gripped by the realities of a war fought frighteningly close to home.
- A Story of Grief and Loss: After her dearest brother, Butler, is killed in an attack, Louisa June must navigate her own sorrow while trying to rescue her mother from a deep sea of melancholy.
- A Strong Girl Protagonist: Armed with good books, a quirky friend named Emmett, and the help of her indomitable Cousin Belle, Louisa June discovers that courage and love are the greatest lifelines.
