Worlds collide in a spectacular way when Newbery and National Book Award finalist Kathi Appelt and Pulitzer Prize nominee and #1 New York Times bestseller Alison McGhee team up to create a fantastical, heartbreaking, and gorgeous tale about two sisters, a fox cub, and what happens when one of the sisters disappears forever.
Sylvie and Jules, Jules and Sylvie. Better than just sisters, more than best friends, theyâd be identical twins if only theyâd been born in the same year. And if only Sylvie wasnât such a fastâfaster than fastârunner. But Sylvie is too fast, and when she runs to the river theyâre not supposed to go anywhere near to throw a wish rock just before the school bus comes on a snowy morning, she runs so fast that no one sees what happensâŚand no one ever sees her again. Jules is devastated, but she refuses to believe what all the others believe, thatâlike their motherâher sister is gone forever.
At the very same time, in the shadow world, a shadow fox is bornâhalf of the spirit world, half of the animal world. She too is fastâfaster than fastâand she senses danger. Sheâs too young to know exactly what she senses, but she knows something is very wrong. And when Jules believes one last wish rock for Sylvie needs to be thrown into the river, the human and shadow worlds collide.
Writing in alternate voicesâone Julesâs, the other the foxâsâKathi Appelt and Alison McGhee tell the searingly beautiful tale of one small familyâs moment of heartbreak, a moment that unfolds into one that is epic, mythic, shimmering, and most of all, hopeful.