A Walk in the Sun

Gr 8 Up—Rose Darrow has dreamed of traveling, seeing a world beyond the cows, hay, and mundane farm life she has known for 18 years. Her future is uncertain now that her mother has died and her father has entered into a debilitating depression, leaving Rose to take care of the farm herself. Help for the summer is just what Rose needs, and when it shows up in the form of 18-year-old Bodhi Lowell, Rose finds herself falling for the handsome stranger. Bodhi has spent most of his teenage years running from a painful past, but when his alcoholic father shows up at the Darrows' door, Bodhi must open up to Rose and face his future. He purchases two plane tickets for him and Rose to start their journey together in Edinburgh. Rose must choose between the duty she feels to her family and an uncertain adventure with her summer love. Zink takes care to build Rose and Bodhi's relationship without sacrificing Rose's journey through grief and the struggle to let herself love and be loved again. Their relationship is consummated with both actively choosing to participate and the focus being on their emotional connection throughout the book. Rose is a strong female protagonist, making choices for herself and putting her family first—readers will not find a fainting belle here. Ultimately, this is a story about love of all kinds, including love for oneself.