Finding Lost

Two years and four months before the start of this quiet novel by Sloan (The Elephant in the Room), middle schooler Cordy’s life is irrevocably altered when her father, a commercial crab fisherman, drowns while working. Now unable to afford their cozy rental home in a small coastal Oregon town, Cordy, her younger brother Geno, and their mother move into a boathouse belonging to the wealthy family for whom Cordy’s mother manages property. Simultaneously, Mom waits tables at a local seafood restaurant while forming an “escape plan” to a better life—an idea that gives Cordy, who can’t imagine leaving the only home she’s ever known, a stomachache. The family’s adoption of a lovable stray dog with extremely bad breath, whom they name Lost, sets into motion gradual changes that result in emotional conflict for reflective, conscientious Cordy. Her father called her Daughter of the Sea, a title she questions until an awe-inspiring sight of a dolphin with albinism ignites within her a profound curiosity. Cordy’s unrealized passion for the ocean as well as her open-minded ponderings about life add depth to the leisurely paced narrative, while perceptive, kindhearted adult characters ground this hopeful story in a sense of community. The protagonists read as white. Ages 9–up. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Oct.)