Fire Is Your Water

When a fire consumes the Franklin barn, it appears to take more than lumber with it. Twenty-year-old Ada Franklin, accustomed to healing with her hands, is robbed of her curative powers. As she struggles with her loss of faith and abilities, she meets Will Burk, a young man who, though mostly on his own, is at peace with his place in the world. The shifting perspectives of this novel set in 1953 rural Pennsylvania provide great insight into not only the two main characters but also Will's talking raven, Cicero, whose astute perceptions of humans in love add to a sense of magical realism. Ada's ability to "pow wow," or heal, is treated as a fact of life, much like Will's happily agnostic sensibilities. Teens reconsidering their beliefs and identity will relate to these well-crafted characters. This engrossing, original love story is an immersive glimpse at life in mid-century Appalachia.