Nowhere Girl
Cover art by Benjamin Lacombe
Walker/ Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
Thirteen-year-old Luchi is anything but an ordinary American teenager. Born in a remote country prison in Northern Thailand, she is pushed by her mother’s death into the outside world–and into the web of secrets that was her mother’s past. A coming-of-age story that follows a compelling character on her journey across continents, and oceans, and into a future she cannot begin to imagine.
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AmazonSCBWI Ruth Landers Glass Scholarship Award
“Nowhere Girl is a modern fairy tale full of adventure and mystery. … This delightful tale gracefully interweaves Thai culture and is full of moral lessons and insights into life. It is beautifully written with a heroine who will stick with the reader long after the last page is turned. Recommended.” – Library Media Connection
“A lovely Cinderella tale.” –Mitali Perkins, author of Monsoon Summer and Rickshaw Girl
“The tautly paced narrative places Luchi in high-stakes situations as she makes discoveries about her family history, as well as herself. … The highly atmospheric setting and thoughtful, determined narrator create a memorable thriller about identity and belonging.” –Publishers Weekly
“The classic quest story gets expanded here with contemporary details in spare lyrical prose that intensify the perilous, archetypal journey. … Realistic specifics, including of-the-moment technology, make the story of betrayal and kindness immediate and universal.” —Booklist
“The story is remarkably woven, free of contrivance and rich with description and emotion. … This is an outstanding novel for exploring perspective as well as themes of identity and belonging, and readers will remember Luchi’s quest long after the last page.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Luchi’s innocence about the world makes her an especially appealing and vulnerable character. The author makes her first experiences outside the prison—a car ride, glimpses of a forest, a rain storm, and the city of Bangkok—filled with naive wonder. This would be a unique choice for a teen girls’ book discussion group”.— VOYA
“This riveting book is full of intrigue and mystery. You step into Thailand and with Luchi Ann discover her past and where that knowledge will take her next. This book is for anyone who loves a good mystery.”— VOYA, Teen Reviewer
“The teen’s taut narration captures the strangeness of her circumstances, her conflicting familiarity and insecurity with Thai culture, and her emerging sense of self and independence. The protagonist is an appealing heroine caught in a hazy web of family secrets, but determined to fulfill her mother’s last words, ‘Go home.’” –School Library Journal