February 15, 2010
Donetta, 69, and her like-aged friends from the tiny town of Daily, Texas, decide to take a giant leap from their mundane lives and go on a cruise. After they begin their journey to the ship, the people in the port town of Perdida, Texas, the groups destination, receive word that a major hurricane is coming their way. Once in Perdida, the band of friends learns their ship has already sailed, and their only choice is to turn around and become part of the massive, frenzied evacuation. Free spirit Kai Miller, the 27-year-old owner of Gifts from the Sea, joins the exodus, and theres plenty of peril on the road from both man and nature as Kai and Donettas group fight their way to Daily. Narrated in turns by Donetta and Kai, popular and versatile Wingates exciting, often humorous tale realistically captures the chaos and heroism of small-town America in the throes of disaster as well as a can-do attitude in the aftermath.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)