The Sisters of Straygarden Place

Since their parents vanished seven years ago, leaving them a list of rules (“Do not leave the house. Do not go into the grass. Wait for us. Sleep darkly”), the Ballastian sisters—10-year-old Pavonine, 12-year-old Mayhap, and 14-year-old Winnow—have lived alone at Straygarden Place, a semi-sentient house that fulfills their every need. Unable to sleep without the droomhunds, which settle into their minds at night, the sisters await their parents’ return. When Winnow ventures into the forbidding silver grass outside—which perpetually whispers to the girls and tries to creep inside—and comes down with an uncanny affliction, Mayhap delves into Straygarden’s secrets to find a cure. Instead, she discovers a strange girl who claims to be the source of the house’s magic, as well as the shocking reason behind her parents’ disappearance. Chewins (The Turnaway Girls) weaves a vivid, otherworldly tale of family and secrets, with a gothic setting that serves as a character in its own right. Through themes of identity, forgiveness, and longing, Mayhap’s unpredictable quest becomes intensely personal, especially as the sisters reinvent their familial relationship. Ages 10–14. [em]Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.) [/em]