Kate Witherspoon has lived a bohemian life with her artist parents. In 1917, the new art form of the motion picture is changing entertainment?and Kate is determined to become a director. Meanwhile, midwestern farm boy Julian Birch has inherited the wanderlust that fuelled his parents' adventures. A childhood bout with polio has left him crippled, but he refuses to let his disability define him. Strangers driven by a shared vision, Kate and Julian set out separately for Los Angeles, the city of dreams. There, they each struggle to find their independence. When they finally meet, the teenage runaways realize their true magical legacy: the ability to triumph over death, over time. But as their powerful parents before them learned, all magic comes with a price. AGES: 12 up AUTHOR: Saundra Mitchell is a screenwriter and author. Her novels THE VESPERTINE and THE SPRINGSWEET have been praised for their rich historical settings, evocative language, and heart-pounding romance. Her debut novel, SHADOWED SUMMER, was a 2010 Edgar Award Nominee, a Junior Library Guild selection, and an ALAN Pick. Visit her website at www.saundramitchell.com.
