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What happens when oh so ordinary Mary Jingo, follows her instincts (and her nose) and ends up in a magical land Far From Home?
In City of Lights, author Kelly Byrd introduces readers to Mary, who is one week away from finishing fifth grade. Mary’s mind is on starting middle school in the fall and finally getting her own phone. But then this ordinary girl notices glimmers of light and meets a strange little man who conjures the best smell she has ever smelled. Before she even stops to consider what she’s doing, she agrees to accompany the man to the land of LeeChee, where our Mary Jingo from the Shadowlands in seen as warrior and a great hope.
Now this very ordinary girl must find a way to help save LeeChee from Thrall and restore the Everything—a magical life- and joy-giving force that somehow connects Mary’s world to LeeChee. How can she face the Void, the foul-smelling Shoeboxians, or the evil Mellie? And how can she do all of the Far From Home?
Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt
Mary took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused on her mother and father and Sam. She thought about how much she loved them. How much she missed them. When she opened her eyes, her father and mother’s faces were pressed close together staring at the glass. As realization spread across their faces, Mary smiled and laughed. Her mother and father began to laugh too, and then they both began to speak at once.
“MARY!” her mother said, her voice full of concern. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? You don’t look hurt.”
“You look okay, firefly,” her father said. “Why did you leave? How did you get out of the house without us noticing?”
Suddenly, the picture shook as Sam pushed his way between his parents. Mary saw a brief flash of the ceiling. When Mary saw the three of them again, Sam was wedged between her parents, the three of them hardly able to fit in frame.
“Hi Mary,” Sam said sheepishly, his eyes were red as if he had been crying too. “Glad you’re okay.”
“I am okay,” Mary said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I really am. It’s been a crazy couple of days. But I am okay. I miss you.”
“We miss you too,” her mother exclaimed. “Are you sure you’re all right? You left so suddenly. I’ve been worried sick.”
“I am. I really am,” Mary said, as she surprised herself with how okay she actually was. “I’m sorry I just left. Rickface said that they needed help and he showed me the Everything, and I just, I don’t know. It felt like the right thing to do.”
Mary’s mother’s eyes softened. Her dad looked at her with a mixture of fear and pride. Sam looked like he might try to hug the mirror. Mary felt like she was going to cry all over again.
“Don’t apologize, Mary. We aren’t angry. We just want you to be safe,” her mother said.
“Are they taking good care of you?” her father asked.
“Sure,” Mary replied. “I’ve learned all kinds of things since I’ve been here. They’re even going to let me be an Oracle in Training, so I’m learning how to channel and control, even though I don’t really know what any of it means. Oh! And I flew on the back of a Thunderbird. And we got attacked once. Well, twice, I guess, if you count the forest and in the sky earlier. And my new friend Corb came into my room and made flowers appear everywhere. And more stuff too...”
Mary trailed off as her mother’s eyes became wider and wider with every word she spoke.
“But I really am okay. Tons of adults are around and they never let me do this stuff alone. I promise.”
“What’s a Thunderbird, Mary?” Sam asked.
“And are you really getting to fly? That’s so cool! What does it feel like? Did you want to throw up? I bet if I flew I would definitely throw up.”
Mary’s parents looked at each other over Sam’s head as Mary smiled at her brother.
…“I really am okay,” Mary said again to her parents. “They are taking very good care of me, and I think I am doing something important here. It’s hard to explain, but this world, I don’t know. I can feel it. It needs me.”
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ReplyDeleteSomething that was very important to me in this story was showing Mary with supportive parents, since so many children in fantasy are orphaned. It was fun to write this scene!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
I love the story and the cover.
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute cover!
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