Beneath Wandering Stars
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- £9.49
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- £9.49
Publisher Description
As featured on Bustle.com
After her soldier brother is horribly wounded in Afghanistan, Gabriela must honor the vow she made: If anything ever happened to him, she would walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain, making a pilgrimage in his name. The worst part is that the promise stipulates that she must travel with her brother's best friend--a boy she has despised all her life. Her brother is in a coma, and Gabi feels that she has no time to waste, but she is unsure. Will she hesitate too long, or risk her own happiness to keep a promise? An up-close look at the lives of the children of military families, Beneath Wandering Stars takes readers on a journey of love, danger, laughter, and friendship, against all odds.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cowles's debut focuses on Gabriela "Gabi" Santiago, a half-Mexican Army brat living on a German military base where her father serves as chaplain. Soon after the book opens, Gabi's older brother, Lucas, a private deployed in Afghanistan, is airlifted to the base's hospital in a coma. Lucas's friend Seth feels responsible and explains that Lucas wanted the family to make a pilgrimage along the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain. Seth and Gabi set out to honor Lucas's wish despite Gabi's parents' objections and the fact that Seth and Gabi don't get along (though it's no surprise when their mutual antagonism turns romantic). Cowles, a former Army brat, shows an intimate understanding of military life and uses her characters to examine its difficulties ("Budget cuts. Back-to-back deployments. Missed birthdays"), the toll combat takes on soldiers, and other complicated topics. Though Cowles avoids making Seth and Gabi's camino overly faith-based, prayer and hope for a miracle regarding Lucas's injuries are central to their pilgrimage. Teens for whom war hits close to home are a natural audience for this hopeful story of journeys internal and external. Ages 14 up.
