That Smudge of Smoke

nAfter her mother dies suddenly, twelve-and-a-half year oldn n nn nPenelope Grace Sinclair (Piper) must go live aboard an n nn nsteamboat captained by her father. Before she saw hern n nn nfather only twice a month when he was off-duty. Now, shen n nn nmust see him every day.n n nn n nn n nn nAs Piper learns how to adjust to her father and grieve for her mother, n n nn nshe also learns about life and work on a steamboat just before then n nn nGreat Depression.n n nn n nn n nn nTo keep her company, Piper keeps a diary which she namesn n nn nDorie. Magically, Dorie comes alive and tells her side of then n nn nstory too. Until a mysterious accident happens that separatesn n nn nDorie and Piper, and all seems lost!n n nn n nn n nn nThen, in 2015, a boy named Garrett, who is struggling ton n nn ncope with his father's traumatic injury, finds Dorie. Garrettn n nn nreads Piper's story, bringing the past to life again. Becausen n nn nof words and music, families discover that the power ofn n nn nfriendship can carry them through hard times.n n nn n nn n nn nFor fans of Lauren Wolk (Beyond the Bright Sea) andn n nn nNatalie Babbit (Tuck Everlasting), That Smudge of Smoken n nn nweaves together fantasy and history to create an n nn nheartwarming read for middle-school audiences.n