âReaders will feel every wave of Tullyâs emotions as she risks everything to try to get her momâs attention. A powerful novel in verse.â âLisa Fipps, author of Printz Honor book Starfish
A middle grade novel in verse that âpacks a powerful punchâ (Kirkus Reviews) from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner that spans one girlâs marathon swim over twelve miles and six hours, calling her mom back home with every stroke.
Six hours.
One marathon swim.
Thatâs all Tully Birch needs to get her life straightened out. With the help of her best friend, Arch, Tully braves the waters of Lake Tahoe to break the record for the youngest person ever to complete the famous âGodfather swim.â She wants to achieve something no one in the world has done, because if she does, maybe, just maybe, her mom will come back.
The swim starts off wellâheart steady, body loose, Arch in charge of snacks as needed. But for Tully, all that time alone with her thoughts allows memories to surface. And in the silence of deep waters, sadness can sink you. When the swim turns dangerous, Tully fights for her survival. Does she keep going and risk her own safety and Archâs? Or does she quit to save them both, even if it means giving up hope that her mother will return?