All of the women in the Fernweh family discover their magical power by the age of 18. Twins Georgie and Mary are turning 18 at the end of summer and will leave the tiny island of By-the-Sea for the first time to attend college. Mary has always been able to float if not fly, but Georgie suspects she, herself, may not have any magic. The girls and their mother, who concocts potions, run an inn that’s overrun each summer by “birdheads,” ornithologists and devoted fans of an extremely rare bird called Annabella that only appears on By-the-Sea for two months of the year. The Fernwehs suspect Annabella is Georgie and Mary’s 300-year-old “great-great-great–Maybe-another-great-” aunt, who could fly, and disappeared around the time the bird first showed up generations ago. When a week passes with no sign of Annabella, birdheads and island dwellers alike are nervous. When two and then three weeks pass, they become frantic. The discovery of Annabella does not bring the relief everyone hoped for, and Georgie is more worried than most: Mary is suddenly distant and depressed, and seems to be hiding something. Magical realism is at its finest in this deft blend of fantasy with sometimes-harsh reality in a story that grippingly illuminates the life-altering effects of sexual assault and trauma while never losing sight of the magic that is hope and healing. (Ages 13–18)

Magic passed down through generations. An island where strange things happen. One summer that will become legend.

Practical Magic meets Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap in this lush, atmospheric novel by acclaimed author Katrina Leno.

Georgina Fernweh waits impatiently for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has touched every woman in her family. But with her eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.

Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, falling in love, and the mystery behind one rare three-hundred-year-old bird—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.

Praise for Katrina Leno:

“Leno’s writing is flawless. Readers of all ages will find themselves swept away.” —VOYA

“Charming and sophisticated.” —Kirkus

“Crackles with wit, humor, and enormous love.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Introduces a fierce new presence.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

But on the island of By-the-Sea, magic has a price. What happens when the gift you’ve always wanted is the one thing you can’t control?

• Two Sisters, One Secret: Georgina longs for the magic her twin sister, Mary, takes for granted. But Mary is hiding a terrible truth about the island’s darkest night.
• Atmospheric Island Setting: On the misty, magical island of By-the-Sea, the salt air is thick with spells, and strange, unpredictable storms haunt the coast.
• A Coming of Age Mystery: When the island’s legendary 300-year-old bird is found dead, Georgina is pulled into a mystery that will force her to discover the truth about her family, her power, and her heart.
• A Tender LGBTQ+ Romance: Georgina’s last summer at home becomes unforgettable when she meets Prue, a visitor whose presence offers a chance at first love—if the island’s secrets don’t tear them apart.