A moving portrait of loss and the restorative power of art.(goodreads summary)
After the accidental death of her father, twelve year old Lucretia Sanderson and her mother, relocate to Candle Island, Maine to rebuild and deal with their grief. Her mom, a famous artist in Vermont, is also trying to avoid the nonstop hounding of journalists looking for interviews. Hoping to start a new life there, Lucretia finds it difficult to fit in with the local islanders and the touristy summer kids. When they move into their home, she learns the history behind the house belonging to the family of a girl named Murdock. From the beginning, she has not been able to make friends with her and learns her story slowly as to why. But as the summer goes on, there are many secrets among the island including one that Lucretia and her mom keep close to themselves.
This is a heartfelt story for upper middle grade readers about grief, self-discovery, friendships and trying to navigate this big world as a gifted twelve year old. The beautiful writing gave me a lot of visualization for the various characters, island life and the beauty of the New England Coast. Lucretia is very mature for her age and at times I felt she should have been older than twelve. But I did understand why her character was written in this way after learning she is a prodigy. It was hard for her to fit in with the Islanders and the summer kids definitely did not make it any easier with their bullying. The spoiled and wealthy summer kids cause much havoc for Lucretia and the Islanders but eventually had to take accountability for their actions. The group of three were quite mean and I was glad how they had to answer for it in the story line. The book is not only about Lucretia's grief and rebuilding. There are secrets about a hidden room, a found poetry writing, a mysterious boy with a magical singing voice, an orphaned osprey chick rescue and the role art plays in our healing. There is a wonderful sense of family between adults and kids while also showing empathy for others and animals. The state of Maine is the perfect setting for the appreciation and the beauty of art and nature which plays a strong role in the story as well. Although it is not a fast-paced read, it does depict a slow island life I'd long for. There are good character developments among the many throughout. It is a wonderful book for summer reading but could also work for anytime of the year with the many twists and themes. I think this is a "just right book" for ages 11-13.~
Title: Candle Island
Author: Lauren Wolk
Pub. date: April 2025, Dutton Books for Young Readers
Genre: middle grade realistic fiction
Hardcover, 352 pgs.