Goldeline

In Cajoleas’s intriguing and eerie children’s book debut, a white-haired, golden-eyed girl sets off on a quest through an enchanted deep woods. Ever since the death of her magic-wielding mother at the hands of the cruel Preacher, 11-year-old Goldeline has been cared for by a bandit named Gruff and his band of men, and she participates in their highway robberies. Goldeline rescues 10-year-old Tommy after the men rob his carriage, hiding him and pretending to be an angel (albeit a cantankerous one). Following a violent skirmish with the Preacher’s men, Goldeline and Tommy wind up on their own in the woods, where they encounter a variety of threatening characters. As Goldeline struggles with what she remembers of her past and uncovers her own magical abilities, she narrates in a rough-and-tumble voice that reflects her hard-edged upbringing (one hillside abode they flee to in desperation is “like a happy home gone wrong, like what me and Momma had but twisted and sunk with grime”). A suspenseful tale of self-discovery. Ages 10–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Nov.)