Far Away

Far Away
Lisa Graff
Philomel, 2019 266 pages
Grades 4-6
Realistic Fiction

Caraway June (CJ) lives with her aunt Nic, a famous psychic who connects with spirits, traveling the country in a RV from show to show. Through Aunt Nic she communicates with her mother, who died in childbirth, yet still is around in spirit form. She misses her mother, but appreciates the relationship she still shares through Aunt Nic and the exciting life on the road, especially now that Aunt Nic's show is getting filmed for a reality TV show. It is CJ's twelfth birthday and Aunt Nic has startling news: her mother is going "far away" and will be out of range. CJ becomes determined to find the house where Nic and Mom grew up to search for "tethers" for Aunt Nic to use to still connect with Mom. Together with a teenage production assistant for the show, Jax, CJ embarks on an adventure taking her all over the state of California looking for clues to locate an object formally belonging to Mom. She finds such an object--and also finds surprises about her life that challenges everything that she knows is true. CJ must wade through the lies and deceptions surrounding her to get to the real facts about her family and Aunt Nic's gifts. She must also make choices about how she plans to proceed into her future and figure out the ethical path to follow.

I like Lisa Graff a lot. Her books are always interesting, heartwarming and fresh, yet all very different from each other. A young protagonist traveling the roads with a psychic aunt is reflective of popular culture, yet fresh to the world of middle grade fiction. Readers will enjoy the glimpse into CJ's life on the road, traveling around in the RV, being haphazardly home-schooled, and helping out with her aunt's show-biz career. The world of psychics is critically examined and Graff offers readers a message of caution. At first I thought this would be a paranormal story, but it turned out to be a slight mystery as CJ uncovers the secret behind her mother and aunt, and then it turns into a heart wrenching family story with no easy answers. CJ is an interesting character at a pivotal moment in her life. Her teen friend, Jax is also developed and intriguing. He suffers from anxiety, yet rises to the occasion when needed, demonstrating his strength and proving his loyalty as a friend. The book reads quickly, contains many surprises and will appeal to a large audience. Readers who enjoy the current trend of "problem novels" will be the obvious audience. Give to fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise for another road-trip/family problem novel or fans of the author.