Summary
Jen White’s A Thousand Minutes to Sunlight is a sensitively-written middle grade novel about a girl struggling with anxiety, family secrets, and the meaning of friendship.
Cora is constantly counting the minutes. It’s the only thing that stops her brain from rattling with worry, from convincing her that danger is up ahead. Afraid of the unknown, Cora spends her days with her feet tucked into sand, marveling at La Quinta beach’s giant waves and her little sister Sunshine’s boundless energy.
And then danger really does show up at Cora’s doorstep–her absentee uncle, whose sudden presence in the middle of the night makes her parents nervous and secretive. As dawn breaks once more, Cora must piece together her family and herself, one minute at a time.
A Thousand Minutes to Sunlight is an endearing and revelatory middle-grade novel that is perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree.
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Excerpt
I ache for the calm of Cat’s Cove. My bike tires bump over the train tracks as I follow the sidewalk and jump off the curb and head past the pier.
Brain says: Thirteen minutes.
Waves crash against the jetty as people climb the rocks, laughing and screaming. Water sprays through the air like a gigantic windshield wiper.
I continue along the dirt path that dips under Pacific Coast Highway’s bridge and duck, even though the road is fifteen feet above me. I hold my breath.
Please don’t let anyone be here. It’ll ruin everything. The overpass casts a dark shadow over the entrance of Cat’s Cove, but then it opens onto a small lake of quiet water. Waves lap silently as the sun sparkles over the surface, creating miniature prisms of light.
I park my bike. Water from the harbor flows in on the jetty side, where large patches of black rock creep their way into the cove.
Dad says the jetty isn’t made of volcanic rock, but of limestone— porous and slick. We’ve spent hours and hours here looking for lost items. Treasure hunting is my favorite thing to do with Dad.
It takes me three seconds to realize I’m alone. There’s no one here. There’s only me. Brain says: And me.
My chest loosens as I take a deep breath. Cat’s Cove is set at a 90-degree angle and because of the westward ocean current, it turns this place into the drain of La Quinta Beach. Anything dropped, dragged, or tossed into the water will eventually find its way here—the perfect place for hunting treasure.
I slip off my flip-flops and unbungee Ruva. Carefully, I pick my way down to the water, taking care not to stub my toe on the three large rocks that hover near the water’s surface. The sand feels like a million glass beads under my feet. The sun warms my back. I want to take off my hoodie.
Brain says: Skin cancer.
The hoodie stays put. I switch on Ruva and plug my headphones into my metal detector and listen to the comforting beep. Dr. Rosenthal thinks it’s because of this methodical sound that hunting treasure is the only place where I can truly think. Everything inside me falls quiet, including Brain.
Author Bio
Jen White writes middle grade fiction. Her second book, A THOUSAND MINUTES TO SUNLIGHT, releases on 4.20.21. Her debut, SURVIVAL STRATEGIES OF THE ALMOST BRAVE, has been translated into several languages. She grew up in Southern California and currently resides there with her family. Jen received her bachelor of art’s degree in English and her master’s degree from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. You can find out more at www.jenwhitebooks.com.
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