Words Composed of Sea and Sky

Michaela Dunn, living on present day Cape Cod, dreams of getting into an art school, something her family just doesn't understand. When her stepfather refuses to fund a trip for a poetry workshop, Michaela finds the answer in a local contest searching for a poet to write the dedication plaque for a statue honoring Captain Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died at sea 100 years ago. She struggles to understand why her town venerates Churchill, an almost mythical figure whose name adorns the school team and various tourist traps. When she discovers the 1862 diary of Leta Townsend, however, she gets a glimpse of Churchill that she didn't quite anticipate. In 1862, Leta Townsend writes poetry under the name Benjamin Churchill, a boy who left for sea to hunt whales. Leta is astonished when Captain Churchill returns after his rumored death. She quickly falls for him. But is she falling for the actual captain or the boy she constructed in her imagination?

“"Past and present narratives collide in this charming, romantic, and beautifully atmospheric debut. A delight." -- Nora Shalaway Carpenter , author of The Edge of Anything (a Kirkus Reviews & A Mighty Girl's Best Book of the Year) and Rural Voices (an NPR Best Book of the Year)-- Nora Shalaway Carpenter, author of The Edge of Anything (a Kirkus Reviews & A Mighty Girl's Best Book of the Year) and Rural Voices (an NPR Best Book of the Year)”

"Readers will enjoy the gentle humor and the romance."--Booklist

In two parallel timelines featuring equally delightful characters, Erica George thoroughly immerses the reader in the small town atmosphere and seaswept shores of Cape Cod, where passions swell and break like the rising of the Atlantic tide. Much like a buttery lobster roll on a warm summer's day, this tenderhearted debut was pure enjoyment from start to finish!
--Jennieke Cohen, author of Dangerous Alliance and My Fine Fellow

--Jennieke Cohen
"Lyrical and moving, Words Composed of Sea and Sky weaves past and present into an emotional and atmospheric tale of love, family, and courage that refuses to be put down. An incredible debut!" --Rachel Bateman, author of Someone Else's Summer--Rachel Bateman
"Past and present are beautifully interwoven in an evocative story about claiming one's voice."
--Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint
"Past and present narratives collide in this charming, romantic, and beautifully atmospheric debut. A delight." --Nora Shalaway Carpenter, author of The Edge of Anything (a Kirkus Reviews & A Mighty Girl's Best Book of the Year) and Rural Voices (an NPR Best Book of the Year)--Nora Shalaway Carpenter
"A beautiful story about love and making your voice heard."

--School Library Journal

"There are two plucky heroines and four handsome hunks in this sweeping romance--and the author successfully juggles them all. The narrative effectively balances big, swoonworthy moments against smart character work."
--Kirkus Reviews

Erica George is an eighth-grade English teacher and graduate of The College of New Jersey with a BS in education and a BA in English. She is an active member of SCBWI. She has also been on the radio show, Authors on Air, interviewed by Pam Stack and Laura Moe, talking about writing, YA, and teaching kids in the age of technology. She lives in northern New Jersey.

Michaela Dunn, living on present day Cape Cod, dreams of getting into an art school, something her family just doesn't understand. When her stepfather refuses to fund a trip for a poetry workshop, Michaela finds the answer in a local contest searching for a poet to write the dedication plaque for a statue honoring Captain Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died at sea 100 years ago. She struggles to understand why her town venerates Churchill, an almost mythical figure whose name adorns the school team and various tourist traps. When she discovers the 1862 diary of Leta Townsend, however, she gets a glimpse of Churchill that she didn't quite anticipate. In 1862, Leta Townsend writes poetry under the name Benjamin Churchill, a boy who left for sea to hunt whales. Leta is astonished when Captain Churchill returns after his rumored death. She quickly falls for him. But is she falling for the actual captain or the boy she constructed in her imagination?

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