Destiny, Rewritten

Destiny, Rewritten
By Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Katherine Tegen Books, c2013. 335 pages. Fiction.

11-year-old Emily (named for Emily Dickinson) was raised by a single mother, who always told her it was her life's destiny to become a renowned poet like Ms. Dickinson. Emily has different ideas, though, and dreams of writing romance novels like her idol Danielle Steel. She has a stroke of bad luck when her early edition Dickinson book accidentally gets hauled away with a pile of Goodwill donations. Emily, along with her young, military-loving cousin Mortie, and her brilliant best friend, Wavey, embark on a search for it throughout the California Bay area. They look in every used bookstore and thrift shop they can find. Along the way, Emily learns some unique and poignant lessons about chance and destiny. Kathryn Fitzmaurice (The Year the Swallows Came Early and Diamond in the Desert) has written a great middle grade novel that is as real as it is wise, with enough humor to keep readers entertained.

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