In the tradition of The Higher Power of Lucky and Because of Winn Dixie, a young girl deals with her motherβs suicide in this riveting debut novel that explores love, loss, family, friendship, and redemption.
In the summer of 1977, twelve-year-old Dulcie Louise Dixon arrives on the doorstep of her Aunt Bernieβs farmhouse in Shepherdsville, Ohio, with no voice, a spelling bee trophy, a Websterβs Dictionary, and a box full of ashes. She tries to adjust to her new situation, but canβt forget the words she left behind or the mother sheβs lost to suicide.
One day, Dulcie discovers a secret place: a swanβs nest in the woods where at last, her broken world begins to mend. With the help of her surprising new friendsβa guitar-playing runaway, a poetry-loving preacher, a one-armed gas station attendant, a singing seamstress, a chained-up hunting dog, and a family of swansβDulcie is finally able to rise out of her sadness and grief to find her voice once again.