Realistic Fiction
279 pages

Finola’s dad is a gifted musician, and his love for her is reflected in every note.  But along with his brilliant mind come bad days too.  Fig thinks she can protect him from his mental breakdowns, but they are getting more severe and she may not be able to hide them from the outside world much longer.  And it’s complicated.  She does not want the new neighbor to see their struggles, but she needs his help when her dad walks to the ocean in a tropical storm.  Finola is too young to care for her dad alone, but there are no adults in her life other than him that she can trust, and his condition is more unreliable than even she can understand.

This sweet story gives readers a glimpse of the manic nature of schizophrenia and the toll it takes on even the most loving bonds between people.  I would recommend this book to sensitive, open-minded, mature readers who can appreciate the many different relationships people have with one another.