Destiny, Rewritten

This sweet contemporary story about poetry, family, and determining your own destiny is perfect for fans of books by Wendy Mass, Joan Bauer, Sharon Creech, and Rebecca Stead.

Eleven-year-old Emily Elizabeth Davis has never met her father, so when a book of poetry with his name in it goes missing, Emily and her friends search all over their hometown of Berkeley, California, hoping to track it down. Meanwhile, even though her English-professor mother insists that Emily is destined to become a poet (she named her after Emily Dickinson!), Emily secretly corresponds with her idol, romance writer Danielle Steel.

As Publishers Weekly says, "Fitzmaurice's story deftly mingles Dickinson, Danielle Steel, a budding crush, and protesting tree sitters while maintaining suspense that leads to a satisfying ending."

Can Emily find the book, solve the mystery of her father, and finally write her own destiny?

• A Heartfelt Friendship Story: With her best friend Wavey and quirky cousin Mortie by her side, Emily’s search becomes an unforgettable adventure through the streets of Berkeley.
• A Sweet First Crush: Navigating a budding crush on the mysterious Connor Kelly is almost as complicated as finding a one-of-a-kind book.
• The Power of Words: While her mom pushes the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Emily finds inspiration in the happy endings of her secret idol, Danielle Steel.
• Destiny vs. Free Will: Emily must decide whether to let fate guide her or to take control and rewrite her own story, once and for all.

Emily Elizabeth Davis has been told for her entire life that her destiny is to become a poet, just like her famous namesake, Emily Dickinson. But shortly after discovering that it contains an important family secret, she loses the special volume of Emily Dickinson's poetry that was given to her at birth. As Emily and her friends search for the lost book in used bookstores all across town, Emily's understanding of destiny begins to unravel and then rewrite itself in a marvelous new way.

In her third novel, Kathryn Fitzmaurice again weaves a richly textured story about unexpected connections, about the stories that shape our lives, and about the most perfect kinds of happy endings: those that happen just on time.

“Aptly set amid the hippie ambiance of Berkeley, Calif., and peopled by offbeat, but believable characters, Fitzmaurice’s story deftly mingles Dickinson, Danielle Steel, a budding crush, and protesting tree sitters while maintaining suspense that leads to a satisfying ending.” - Publishers Weekly

“A sweet book that should appeal to fans of Wendy Mass, Joan Bauer, Sharon Creech, and the like.” - School Library Journal

“There’s a proto-romance with classmate Connor Kelly, attention paid to environmental issues and some interesting poetry, but the focus is squarely on Emily’s growing self-determination. Emotionally, her story rings true. Readers will applaud Emily’s newfound understanding of the workings of destiny and might even follow her lead.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Emily’s exploration of fate is intriguingly presented, and a happy ending comes about through both Emily’s choices and pure luck, leaving readers with the pleasantly paradoxical idea that fate is both beyond and within one’s control...Emily is a strong and likable heroine.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Emily’s engaging first-person narrative chronicles her daily life, her wonderfully quirky family, her musings on fate, her growing sense of self, and her one-way correspondence with her favorite writer, Danielle Steel. The book’s idyllically happy ending may have its critics, but most young readers will find it entirely satisfying.” - ALA Booklist