The Turnaway Girls

"The Turnaway Girls" is a captivating fantasy adventure for middle-grade readers, following 12-year-old Delphernia Undersea. She lives in a cloister where girls are silenced and forced to transform music into gold, while boys and men control all music outside. Delphernia, who yearns to sing, seizes a chance to escape, only to discover a world both wondrous and dangerous. The book explores profound themes of self-discovery, gender inequality, and the fight for freedom against oppressive societal norms. Parents will appreciate its strong female protagonist and the rich opportunities for discussion about justice and individual expression.

"Twelve-year-old Delphernia Undersea has spent her whole life in the cloister, hidden from sea and sky by a dome of stone and the laws of Blightsend. Outside, the Masters - all boys and men - play music. Inside, the turnaway girls silently, silently make that music into gold. Making shimmers, Mother Nine calls it. But Delphernia can't make shimmer. She would rather sing that stay silent. When a Master who doesn't act like a Master comes to the skydoor, it's a chance for Delphernia to leave the cloister. Outside the stone dome, the sea breathes like a wind beast, the sky watches with stars like eyes, and even the gardens have claws. Outside, Delphernia is caught between the island's silent Custodian and its ominous Childer-Queen. Outside, there is a poem-speaking prince and a girl who makes Delphernia think of freedom. Delphernia doesn't know how to be free in Blightsend. Blightsend can't be free without her." --