The Girl from Everywhere

Debut author Heilig sets this swashbuckling time-travel adventure primarily in 19th-century Hawaii, when the islands were colonized but still had a king. Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a resourceful and multilayered heroine who navigates a tall ship across enchanted maps that lead to particular moments and places in time%E2%80%94some real and some mythological, depending on the map. Her father, Slate, captains the Temptation through time, in hopes of returning to the days before Nix's mother died giving birth to Nix in 1868 Honolulu; when a map from 1981 fails them, they instead land in modern-day New York City. Nix lives under the shadow of Slate's loss, and their relationship suffers for it%E2%80%94not to mention that Nix's life may be at stake if Slate succeeds in saving her mother. Heilig's writing is richly immersive, and a mature exploration of complicated love, both familial and romantic, underlies the story. A riveting and far-reaching fantasy that crosses seamlessly across the centuries, posing questions about fate, loyalty, and belonging. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Feb.)