Shipped halfway around the world to spend the summer with her mom’s eccentric Australian relatives, middle schooler and passionate violinist Louisa is prepared to be resentful. But the Tasmanian rainforest is intriguing, as are her Uncle Ruff's veiled hints about something named Convict Rock. Finally, Louisa learns the truth: Convict Rock is a sanctuary established by her great-grandmother Eleanor for Tasmanian tigers — which the world believes were hunted into extinction almost a hundred years ago.
One tiger remains, but now the sanctuary is threatened by a mining operation, and the last Tasmanian tiger must be lured deeper into the forest. The problem is, not since her great-grandmother has a member of the family been able to earn the shy tigers’ trust. As the summer progresses, Louisa forges unexpected connections with the forest and ― through Eleanor’s journal ― with her great-grandmother. She begins to suspect the key to saving the tiger is her very own music. But will her plan work? From Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Michelle Kadarusman comes a moving coming-of-age story wrapped up in the moss, leaves, and blue gums of the Tasmanian rainforest.
"Kadarusman masterfully creates a lush, magical world where issues associated with conservation, neurodiversity, and history intersect in surprising and authentic ways.... Louisa’s narratorial voice strikes the right balance of curiosity, timidity, and growing confidence, and her character’s transformation feels both incredibly natural and incredibly rewarding to behold. A beautiful conservation story told in a rich setting and peopled with memorable characters." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 10 - 13 |
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Author | Michelle Kadarusman |
ISBN | 1772780545 |
Publisher | Pajama Press |
Language | English |