Friday, November 25, 2022

Crossing the Pressure Line by Laura Anne Bird

 


Crossing the Pressure Line
Laura Anne Bird
Middle grade fiction, 243 pages
Orange Hat Publishing, March 1, 2022
$14.95 paper
$6.99 ebook
Buy on Amazon 

About the Book:

Twelve-year-old Clare Burch has just lost the person she loves most in the world. She wonders if her feelings of sorrow and self-blame over her grandfather’s death will ever go away.
Out of the blue, a special request sends Clare on a journey from her home in Chicago to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. She knows that she must honor Grandpa Anthony’s last wishes, even though they completely upend her summertime plans.  
Clare heads to rural Alwyn with her little blind dog and a duffel bag full of worries. What will she do without her best friends and swim team? Who will take her fishing and spoil her with candy now that her grandfather is gone? And most important, is she strong enough to let him go, forever?
During her summer up north, Clare stumbles upon the answers to her many questions. Even more, as she makes peace with why she couldn’t save Grandpa Anthony, she ends up rescuing someone else from danger.
Above all, Clare learns to listen to the courageous voice inside—and discovers just how tough she really is. 

My Review

Twelve, going on thirteen-year-old Clare is part of Grandpa Anthony’s last pet project—getting his girls to just get along better. Grandpa’s will has two surprising directives, neither of which sounds like any fun, especially not when both Mom and Grandma can’t even agree on what to pack for a summer exiled up north at Grandpa’s favorite place in the world.
“No friends, no swim team, no you, and a mom and grandmother who are experts at arguing.”
But a little voice inside of her says, “Just make it work, Clare Burch.”
It’s a summer of revelation as Clare makes goals, and works to achieve them. She keeps up with her friends at home, makes new friends who have surprising international backgrounds but aren’t really much different, keeps in shape by swimming in the lake, tries to reel in that elusive musky, and learns to drive. But when Grandma Lulu makes a devastating decision, it’s just one more hurdle to try to handle.
Revelations come in many forms; revelations of self-acceptance at any age or stage of life as Clare works to overcome survivor’s guilt and learn empathy, her mother works to accept her talents, and Grandma to accept her new life without her husband. The Burch family makes their mark in the late Grandpa Anthony’s hometown, but for how long? Anything can happen above the pressure line—where the air is more breathable and the stress of problems seem easier to resolve.
Middle grade, pre-teen girls will find much to enjoy about Clare’s eye-opening summer, where she learns to look past outside and recognize grief plays out in many forms. Just a note: keeping certain endangered or predatory bird feathers is illegal in Wisconsin, but if you want to know more about that, you’ll just have to read the book.

About the Author:
A Milwaukee native, Laura Anne Bird graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in English. She lives in Madison with her husband, three teenagers, and little dog. When she’s not reading, writing, or reviewing books, she loves to exercise and explore the outdoors. Crossing the Pressure Line is her first novel. You can find her on Instagram @laura_at_the_library. www.laurabirdbooks.com