About this item
Alia wants nothing more than to be selected as a keenten, a warrior woman. Her friend Kay, strong and fierce, is sure to be chosen, but Alia is not nearly as certain about herself. When Kay stumbles upon a shelter in the woods belonging to two Beechians, enemies of their people, the girls see a perfect opportunity to prove their courage and worth. But then strange events unfold, and Alia begins to question everything that has always been certain in her life—her friendship with Kay, her opinions of the Beechians and of war, even her singular desire to become a keenten.A vividly portrayed, perfectly realized world and elements of the supernatural provide a magical setting for this stirring story, which will resonate long after the final page is turned.
About the Author
Laura Williams McCaffrey was born and raised in Vermont. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University, then returned to Vermont and eventually became a school librarian, answering to the names "Ms. Librarian," "Library Lady," and sometimes simply "Ms. Library." She now writes, teaches, and edits full-time. Her short stories have been published by Cicada, YA Review Network, Solstice Literary Magazine, and Soundings Review. "Crow's Face" (YA Review Network) is a 2017 Pushcart Prize Nominee. "Into the Vast" (YA Review Network) won the SCBWI 2014 Magazine Merit Award for fiction. Kirkus Reviews called Marked (Clarion Books, 2016) , a dystopian fantasy for teens, "an original, textured page-turner." She's the author of two children's fantasy novels, Water Shaper (Clarion Books, 2006) and Alia Waking (Clarion Books, 2003) . Water Shaper was selected for the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age 2007 list. Alia Waking was named an International Reading Association Notable Book. It was also a nominee for the annual Teens' Top Ten Books list and for Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award. Laura is on faculty at Solstice, the low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program at Pine Manor College, and she's recently joined YA Review Network as its fiction editor. She lives in a small house in the woods with her husband, regionally acclaimed musician Colin McCaffrey, and their daughters. For more information about her or her work, visit her website at: http://www.laurawilliamsmccaffrey.com.
