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Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, written by Dan Gemeinhart. Henry Holt, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2019. $22.50 ages 10 and up

"Out of nowhere, tears came stinging into my eyes. I just wanted everyone to be happy. Lester and Tammy and Salvador and his mom and his aunt and Val and me and Rodeo. It's hard, though, when everyone carries around a heart inside them that it so loud and so strong and so easily broken. I stood up and headed back toward my bedroom. I was tired. And something else, too: I was almost home. And I was terrified."

Packed full of amazing and memorable characters, Coyote's story will have you laughing, angry, heartbroken, hopeful, scared and in awe of the endless events that fill her and her father's life.

Coyote and her father, Rodeo, have been on the road for five years. Coyote is only 12; the circumstances that compelled the two to find adventure and anonymity in travel are agonizing. The tragic car accident that killed Coyote's mother and two sisters was too much to bear. Her father could not stay in their hometown any longer. He opted for spending time traveling together on a converted school bus, telling stories and ignoring the grief they are feeling by not talking about it.

A phone call with her grandmother, who still lives in their hometown in Washington state, informs Coyote that their neighborhood park is going to be torn down. Coyote panics. Her mother, sisters and Coyote have buried a memory box beneath a tree slated for removal. It contains many cherished items each one of them has included. Coyote must retrieve it.

In order to do so, she has to trick her father into going back home - all the way from Florida. They only have a few days to get there. Coyote is desperate and resolute, but cannot talk to her father about it as he has vowed never to return. He wants no reminders of all they have lost.

On the road, the two have managed to help a number of people needing a ride to somewhere important to them. This trip is no different. As they meet, and invite an engaging and friendly group of travelers to join them, they forge new and satisfying friendships - and compatriots in assuring that Coyote gets where she wants to go. The trip is not without incident, obstacles, or deep emotions.

Coyote is a marvelous narrator: wise, gracious, observant, courageous and intuitive. She voices her understanding for those who are sharing their bus, offers opinions and candor when appropriate, and finally lets her father know what she needs. She has accommodated his needs for too long.

You won't forget Coyote!

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