On top of all that, best friend Eva is convinced she will be accepted into her first choice summer program, but seems totally oblivious to what is going on with Maisie, unlike their friend Hattie. Hattie is concerned that she hasn't heard from Maisie, who is avoiding her text messages. Hattie is also the best dancer of the three friends. At the same time, Maisie has been unaccountably irritated at her parents and Connor, and she is beginning to feel oddly disconnected from herself and those around her. And she's in denial about how serious the pain in her knee is.
As her family heads out for their road trip during midwinter break, Maisie's dark moods don't improve, nor does the pain in her knee. During the tip, Maisie learns the history of her Native American ancestors. She is Makah on her mother's side, who grew up on northwestern part of Washington State. Maisie's dad was Piscataway, growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. Her stepdad, Jack Leith, is an enrolled citizen of the Lower Elwah Klallam Tribe, and know everything about Klallam and Pacific Northwest history.
While the family digs for clams, and hikes through the area, Maisie's mother talks to her about how she was able to deal with the sudden death of her husband, finding strength in her Makah heritage. Jack also shares his personal history as part of the Klallam community and what a difference it made in his life, which was at one time heading in the wrong direction.
Despite being careful, Maisie trips and falls, seriously re-injuring her knee, undoing all the hard work she put into healing it. Will she be able to recover and dance again, or will she have to find a new course? And can she mend the friendships she has sabotaged?
When I began reading The Sea in Winter, I expected it to be about a younger girl than Maisie because of the cover and it took me a few pages to readjust my thinking. Once I did that, I was completely hooked on Maisie's story. It is narrated in the first person by her and gives the reader a lot of insight into her thinking and feelings, as well as her struggles. Maisie is heading down a dark path, but luckily she has parents who love her and recognize what is happening. I have to admit that at first I thought Maisie was a bit selfish, but as her emotional state became clearer, I began to feel much more empathic towards her.
I really liked that Day gave her an intact family that is supportive, warm and loving, and a stepdad who really cares for her as though she were is own child without trying to replace her biological dad. Little brother Connor is a bundle of energy and can be a bit annoying, but it is clear he adores Maisie and the feeling is mutual. Family goes a long way in helping Maisie's recovery and I think the Native histories her parents tell her about also help her to finally begin to have the strength to really heal.
Day's description of the people and places in Maisie's life are so realistic, including the road trip the family took from their home in Seattle to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. I could almost feel the cold and taste the razor clams the family digs up and cooks.
The Sea in Winter is a compelling, heartwarming story about facing the loss of a dream and finding your life again after a traumatic injury. I can't recommend it highly enough.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley
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