The Wild Path

July 1, 2020
Legendary, possibly imaginary horses help a Vermont 12-year-old cope with loss and change. Claire's 18-year-old brother, Andy, is at a residential facility being treated for an addiction to pain medication. Her mother, an accountant, lost her job several months ago; between that and the cost of Andy's treatment, her father's teacher salary isn't enough for them to continue to keep the family's horses, Sunny and Sam. For Claire, Sunny and Sam "hold my skin and bones together"--she can't imagine life without them. Hoping to prevent their sale by winning the school history fair, she researches the historic use of horses in logging and sugaring as well as their current use in equine therapy. When she finds an old newspaper clipping of a long-ago accident in which horses died, she thinks they're related to the horses she encounters in the woods--horses only she can see. The storyline of Claire's brother's addiction, her family's struggles with it, and her development through a teen support group are all well handled. However, the wild horses feel out of place. Their existence isn't important to the story in any way, and Claire's belief in them isn't all that compelling as a subplot. Claire and her family are white; her best friend is likely Latinx, and a friend from her support group, South Asian. An author's note discusses alcohol abuse and offers resources for young readers. Read for the sensitive portrait of addiction and its effects on a family, not for the magic horses. (Fiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 19, 2020
Sensitive 12-year-old Claire desperately misses her 18-year-old brother, Andy, who is in rehab to treat his addition to pain medication. Following her mother’s job loss and the expenses from her brother’s treatment, Claire is also determined to find a way for her family to keep their two beloved horses, and she sees winning the prize money from her school history fair as a way to save them. When she finds an old clipping about an accident involving horses and her family’s Vermont farm, she connects it to the horses in the woods that only she can see. Baughman (The Light in the Lake) effectively portrays Claire’s facility with and affection for her family’s horses, but a fantastical subplot involving ghostly animals feels extraneous, distracting from the otherwise powerful narrative. In addition, a few metaphors, particularly the birds used to express Claire’s anxieties (“The sparrows swirl and tumble and bump into one another as they fly”), feel repetitive. Claire’s feelings, however, are authentically portrayed, and Baughman’s novel offers a sensitive look at the ripple effects of addiction. Ages 8–12. Agent: Katie Grimm, Don Congdon Associates.

October 23, 2020
Grades 4-8 Claire hates when the birds are wild in her chest, but she knows worry is one of the challenges that comes with loving a brother who is dealing with addiction. With Andy in rehab and her parents determining it's time for their two beloved horses to move on to greener pastures, Claire is desperate to hold onto some normalcy. When a school project pushes her to use her imagination and she starts seeing ghostly horses, she must decide whether to trust herself or the naysayers. Baughman (The Light in the Lake, 2019) delivers an enchanting, autumnal story set in Vermont that ties history to the magic of the present. The Wild Path quietly and effectively depicts grief and its many faces while delivering an irresistible cast of characters. Poignant with a gentle touch, Claire's story brings in supportive adults while still acknowledging the complexities of life and people. Fans of Raina Telgemeier will fall for Claire's mature determination and intelligence, and be moved by her heartrending and stirring story.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.