Twelve year old Maisie Cannon is all about ballet. But now, after an accident and surgery, she is recovering rather than dancing. And all is not well. Her grades are slipping, she is growing distanced from her friends, and she is being uncharacteristically snippy with her family. All that Maisie wants is to get back to dancing. While on a family trip to the Olympic Peninsula, Maisie learns about her Native heritage as well as about some of her own personal family history. And that it is ok to ask for help.
This book gives interesting insight into what it is like when something a person has worked so hard for for so many years suddenly has it taken away. When so much of your identity is built around being or doing one thing, what happens when you can't do it anymore? I enjoyed the portrayal of the family in this book. No one is perfect, but they all treat each other with love and respect. Along with Maisie, readers learn about the removal of the Elwha River dam, the conflict around the 1999 Makah whale hunt, and treaty rights to harvest shellfish in an enjoyable and natural way. We also cheer for Maisie as she learns to deal with her life changing injury.
This is a compelling story of resilience that readers ages 8 to 13 will both relate to and be inspired by.