Lindsay Eagar Libri

The story follows eight-year-old Duck, who was rescued from a river and raised by a group of street kids known as the Crowns. Their carefree life of thievery changes when they settle in an abandoned cathedral, led by Gnat's daring plan to infiltrate the local bakery. As Duck becomes an apprentice to the kind baker Griselde, she grapples with her identity and loyalties. The narrative also features a weary gargoyle longing to fulfill his protective role, weaving a rich tale of love, self-discovery, and the essence of family.

The story follows a twelve-year-old girl navigating a transformative summer filled with personal growth and discovery. Enhanced by elements of magical realism, the narrative captures her experiences and emotions, creating a rich tapestry of childhood and change. Eagar's debut showcases her ability to intertwine the ordinary with the extraordinary, offering a unique perspective on the challenges and wonders of growing up.

"Beaked. Feathered. Monstrous. Avita was born to be a star. Her tent sells out nightly, and every performance incites bloodcurdling screams. She's the most lucrative circus act from Texas to Tacoma, the crown jewel of the Family Fortuna, and Avita feeds on the shrieks, the gasps, the fear. But when a handsome young artist arrives to create posters of the performers, she's appalled by his rendering of Bird Girl. Is that all he sees? A hideous monster--all sharp beak and razor teeth, obsidian eyes and ruffled feathers? Determined to be more, Avita devises a plan to snatch freedom out from under the greased mustache of her charismatic father, the domineering proprietor and ringmaster. But will their fragile circus family survive the showdown she has in mind? By turns delightful and disturbing, bawdy and breathtaking, horrific and heartfelt, this electric and exquisitely crafted story about a family like no other challenges our every notion of what it means to be different--subject to an earful of screams--and to step out of the shadows and shine anyway."--Publisher.