The Line Tender

Lucy’s mother, a marine biologist who studied sharks, passed away suddenly when Lucy was seven. The summer she’s 12, a great white washes ashore, and her best friend Fred ignites her interest in her mother’s old research. When tragedy strikes again, that research becomes a line through her grief and back to connection with her father. Featuring beautiful line drawings of sharks throughout, this is a gorgeous debut about coping with loss: respectful, realistic, important, and kind. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com

★”Confidently voiced.”— Kirkus Reviews (Starred)
★”Richly layered.” — Publishers Weekly (Starred)
★”A hopeful path forward.” — Booklist (Starred)
★”Life-affirming.” — BCCB (Starred)
★”Big-hearted.“ — Bookpage (Starred)
★“Will appeal to just about everyone.” — SLC (Starred)

Funny, poignant, and deeply moving, The Line Tender is a story of nature’s enduring mystery and a girl determined to find meaning and connection within it.

Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, collecting shark data, when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven. Since then Lucy and her father have kept their heads above water — thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her 12th summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a great white — and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful,” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research on the Great White’s return to Cape Cod. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered.

“Holy fish, this is a graceful, honest, special book. The Line Tender is a story of resilience. It’s about how unbelievably strong and resourceful kids can be. About the real magic in the world — the magic of science, the magic of survival, and the magic of love.” Laurel Snyder, author of the National Book Award longlisted Orphan Island

“This richly textured story calls us to our most pressing business on earth: to understand and respect the stunningly complex creatures around us before they disappear forever.” Margi Preus, author of Heart of a Samurai, a Newbery Honor book

“Kate Allen writes with lyric grace, and her beautifully textured narrative, of a girl struggling to understand and move beyond tragedy, is a triumph.” The Buffalo News

Funny, poignant, and deeply moving, The Line Tender is a story of nature's enduring mystery and a girl determined to find meaning and connection within it.

Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart's marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, collecting shark data when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven. Since then Lucy and her father have kept their heads above water--thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a great white--and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was "meaningful" but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother's unfinished research on the Great White's return to Cape Cod. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she'll finally be able to look beyond what she's lost and toward what's left to be discovered.

★"Confidently voiced."--Kirkus Reviews, starred
★"Richly layered."--Publishers Weekly, starred
★"A hopeful path forward."--Booklist, starred
★"Life-affirming."--BCCB, starred
★"Big-hearted." --Bookpage, starred
★"Will appeal to just about everyone." - SLC, starred
★"Exquisitely, beautifully real."--Shelf Awareness, starred

Kate Allen grew up in Massachusetts and lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her family. The Line Tender is her first novel.

When I was six, my dad signed me up for a marine biology class at the community college. There were courses available to elementary school kids on Saturday mornings. The old Hardie Building was just a few blocks from the ocean in Beverly, MA. I remember walking down to the beach to collect seawater for an experiment...

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