Booklists

CCBC Review:

For the past six years, Fern and her mother (white) have been living at the Ranch, where Dr. Ben controls all aspects of their off-the-grid, self-sustaining community. When Fern’s mother realizes that the cult is no longer safe for Fern, the two flee in the middle of the night. They make their way to California, where Fern’s mother has secured a housekeeping job at a motel. They receive additional support from Babs, a friendly local businesswoman and old friend of Fern’s grandmother. Taught to fear technology and the influence of society, Fern is furious at being uprooted. She quickly realizes how little she knows about the real world—like how to mail a letter. To say she’s behind in school is an understatement; she’s never heard of George Washington or Google. Determined to contact Dr. Ben and get her mom back on “the path,” Fern asks a private investigator for help and sets about earning the money to pay him. In the meantime, she finds a modicum of comfort in new friend Eddie (Indian/white), but almost nothing can shake Fern’s faith in Dr. Ben or loosen the iron grip that his ideology has on her. While aspects of the plot may stretch credibility, Fern’s emotional journey and psychological struggle to disentangle herself from the influence of a dangerous, charismatic leader are frighteningly believable. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Novel
Subjects: Change Child Abuse Denial Independence/Self-Reliance Money and Finances Moving Rumor, Myth and Misinformation

Publishers: Knopf, Random House
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 322
ISBN: 9780593650738
CCBC Location: Fiction, O'Shaughnessy

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