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Spindrift and the Orchid
Table of Contents
About The Book
A girl finds herself entrenched in a dark mystery after the deaths of her parents in this fantastical novel from the author of The House of Months and Years.
When a man walks into her grandfather’s curiosity shop and asks about a black orchid, Spindrift turns him away. She’s never seen such a thing.
Until one night it appears. Spindrift, an orphan, has one keepsake from her parents…a clear glass orb. Except it’s not quite clear anymore. She watches as a black orchid forms inside the crystal. Then the flower blooms into a towering woman in a dress of midnight silk and air, a woman with the power to grant wishes.
It’s fun, at first.
But having everything you want is hard to hide. And soon, Spindrift—and her orchid—are being hunted.
Left running for her life, Spindrift must ask herself who her parents really were, and whether a wish is really just a curse in disguise.
When a man walks into her grandfather’s curiosity shop and asks about a black orchid, Spindrift turns him away. She’s never seen such a thing.
Until one night it appears. Spindrift, an orphan, has one keepsake from her parents…a clear glass orb. Except it’s not quite clear anymore. She watches as a black orchid forms inside the crystal. Then the flower blooms into a towering woman in a dress of midnight silk and air, a woman with the power to grant wishes.
It’s fun, at first.
But having everything you want is hard to hide. And soon, Spindrift—and her orchid—are being hunted.
Left running for her life, Spindrift must ask herself who her parents really were, and whether a wish is really just a curse in disguise.
Excerpt
Spindrift and the Orchid CHAPTER ONE A Story Finally Told
IT STARTED, AS ALMOST EVERYTHING does, with a word, just like this story. It, you’re wondering. What is it??
I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything, for when you have kept a secret as long as I, the only proper choice after deciding to unburden oneself is to tell all of it, from the first word to the last one. I can say right now that the last word is rain, but that won’t do you much good without all the ones before it, so I’ll share those, too, in the right order. I have stayed silent this long and could do so for whatever time I have left to me. I’ve stayed silent out of respect, yes, and out of fear as well, if I’m honest. The time comes, however, when one must stop being afraid. Should someone read this and choose to seek out the mystery for themselves, the consequences of that decision are theirs alone and do not rest on my aging shoulders.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Words. Words don’t frighten me anymore, though perhaps they should. There are some things about some words I must tell you before we begin.
Any dictionary worth reading will tell you that “spindrift” is a mist over an ocean, spray thrown up to the skies by a gale’s crashing waves. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, felt its chill on my skin, slipped on it across the decks of a great and beautiful ship pitching in a storm.
But.
“Spindrift” is something else, too. Someone else. She is a girl, of dark hair and seawater-blue eyes and skin as pale as whitecaps. A girl who thought she was ordinary.
And the orchid is not only a precious, blooming flower.
It is a curse.
—M. D.
17th day of the Month of Souls, in the Year of the Forgiven
N 48°51'24", E 2°21'03"
IT STARTED, AS ALMOST EVERYTHING does, with a word, just like this story. It, you’re wondering. What is it??
I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything, for when you have kept a secret as long as I, the only proper choice after deciding to unburden oneself is to tell all of it, from the first word to the last one. I can say right now that the last word is rain, but that won’t do you much good without all the ones before it, so I’ll share those, too, in the right order. I have stayed silent this long and could do so for whatever time I have left to me. I’ve stayed silent out of respect, yes, and out of fear as well, if I’m honest. The time comes, however, when one must stop being afraid. Should someone read this and choose to seek out the mystery for themselves, the consequences of that decision are theirs alone and do not rest on my aging shoulders.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Words. Words don’t frighten me anymore, though perhaps they should. There are some things about some words I must tell you before we begin.
Any dictionary worth reading will tell you that “spindrift” is a mist over an ocean, spray thrown up to the skies by a gale’s crashing waves. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, felt its chill on my skin, slipped on it across the decks of a great and beautiful ship pitching in a storm.
But.
“Spindrift” is something else, too. Someone else. She is a girl, of dark hair and seawater-blue eyes and skin as pale as whitecaps. A girl who thought she was ordinary.
And the orchid is not only a precious, blooming flower.
It is a curse.
—M. D.
17th day of the Month of Souls, in the Year of the Forgiven
N 48°51'24", E 2°21'03"
About The Author
Photo credit: James Drew
Emma Trevayne is a full-time writer. She is an avid music collector, a lover of computer code languages, and a photographer. She is the author of Coda, Chorus, Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times, and Spindrift and the Orchid. She has lived in Canada, England, and America.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 1, 2018)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781481462594
- Ages: 8 - 12
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Raves and Reviews
"The ensuing high-seas adventure is one of magic, camaraderie, and revelation...Hand Trevayne’s imaginative tale to fantasy readers and fans of Lindsay Eagar’s Race to the Bottom of the Sea"
– Booklist, May 15, 2018
"Spindrift’s struggle to cling to safety, family, and good sense against the lure of unchecked
power bears the stamp of Trevayne’s...signature sensibility."
– The Horn Book, July/August 2018
"Spindrift’s magical journey is captivating."
– School Library Connection, September 2018
"This story is beautifully written...Characters are well developed...Highly recommended for middle grade collections."
– School Library Journal, July 2018
Awards and Honors
- Intermediate Sequoyah Book Award Master List (OK)
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Spindrift and the Orchid Hardcover 9781481462594
- Author Photo (jpg): Emma Trevayne Photo credit: James Drew(0.1 MB)
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