The Grandfather Tree

Book excerpt: Waking up on a scorching deserted beach, fourteen-year-old Mimi Reagan fears she didnt survive the lightning storm that sent her tearing through her familys cornfields in Iowa. Lying in the bleach-white sand, she discovers that wherever she is, she isnt there alone. Ethan, Jess, and Jake, the only other inhabitants of this island, are also imprisoned. Strangers to each other, Mimi and Ethan realize they can hear each others thoughts. They know everything about one another. Jess and Jake experience the same phenomenon. And while Ethan and Mimi feel an immediate intimacy at their mystical knowledge, this vulnerability has driven Jess and Jake to mutual disgust. The island holds a power too great for these four captives to fully comprehend. Ripping, inverted cyclones torture the waterline. Bloodthirsty sea-beasts stalk the shores. Even the sun and moon disobey the common laws of nature. As the four teens struggle to find a way home, they realize this island has a distinct plan for each of them. They each must face their worst fear. The island creates the perfect adversarycomposed of all their insecurities, armed with the knowledge of their weaknesses, and poised for a death strike. The choice becomes clear: overcome or perish.