The Notebook meets Love & Gelato in this heart-wrenching novel âfull of deep romance and searing tragedyâ (Kirkus Reviews) about a teen girl who travels to her late motherâs majestic summertime home to learn of the romanceâand the tragedyâthat changed her life forever.
Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says heâd rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know?
When Lexiâs grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexiâs mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Islandâplus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go.
Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the magical hotel that rests alongside cozy cafĂŠs and bookshops. While following her motherâs footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings.
But though the island may be beautiful, itâs hiding unfortunate secretsâsome with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters?