Brave in the Woods

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Juni knows the story of her birth. How it took three miracles for her to survive. How her older brother, Connor, saved her life. How any goodluck allotted to her is most certainly used up and gone just by her being alive. Which leaves only the bad luck, and in her family, bad luck can be very bad indeed. According to her grandmother Anya, Juni’s family is descended from the Brothers Grimm, who were cursed by a witch to suffer extreme luck—both goodand bad. So when Juni wakes up in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling of antlers growing in, she knows the curse is awakening, too. The very next day,the chaplain arrives to tell her family that Connor has gone missing in action during his tour in Afghanistan. Now Juni’s life is in two parts—before Connor went missing and after. Life won’t be the same until Connor is home, but right now she’s the only one in herfamily who believes that’s even possible. Desperate, Juni turns to the old family legends for clues to breaking the family curse and embarks on a quest to do justthat, in hopes it might finally bring her brother home. From Charlotte Huck Honoree Tracy Holczer comes another exquisitely told tale about the power of stories, the enormity of grief, and the brilliance of hope.