Signed, Skye Harper

Winston has lived in Florida with her grandmother, Nanny, ever since her mother "took off headed west, for California, and for fame." Now 15, Winston hasn't seen her mother in more than a decade; after she gets a letter from Momma asking for help ("What do you 2 say about comming to git me?"), Nanny "borrows" her business partner's motor home for the trip to Las Vegas, only to find out that his son, Steve, is asleep inside. Williams's (Waiting) warm, humorous, and poignant story unfolds against the backdrop of the 1972 Munich Olympics and Mark Spitz's seven gold medals; Winston herself is a funny, strong and sensitive heroine with dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer. As the story progresses, the short chapters (sometimes as short as a single line of text) become a powerful plot device that strengthens Winston's voice, provides moments of laugh-out-loud humor, and builds intense emotion across all the characters, especially as romance grows between Steve and Winston. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. (May)