A Million Junes

In Five Fingers, Mich., ghosts and legend are as real as the generations-old rift between the O’Donnell and Angert families. When refined Saul Angert, 20, returns to town, 18-year-old Jack “June” O’Donnell IV begins to question the deeply held convictions and warnings passed down by her father in grand stories of adventure, magic, curses, and betrayal. Confronting memory and myth, June must accept that her “inheritance is grief and sunlight, and the ability to choose which to hold on to.” Through time slips, Henry (The Love That Split the World) lets June and Saul experience firsthand and interpret the seminal moments that formed their families and their attendant mythologies. The long line of “Jacks”in June’s family tree are captivating, allowing readers to more deeply understand her as a resilient and flawed character. Her connection and devotion to her deceased father is gorgeously portrayed, most notably her struggle to preserve his life and legacy as she forges her own path. Henry’s writing is lush and evocative, adding volumes to an already moving premise. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Lana Popovic, Chalberg & Sussman. (May) [/em]