Hannah’s whole life has been spent in motion. Her mother has kept her and her brother, Gabe, on the road for as long as she can remember, leaving a trail of rental homes and faded relationships behind them. No roots, no family but one another, and no explanations.
All of that changes on Hannah’s seventeenth birthday when she wakes up transformed, a pair of golden eyes with knife-slit pupils blinking back at her from the mirror—the first of many such impossible mutations. Promising that she knows someone who can help, her mother leaves Hannah and Gabe behind to find a cure. But as the days turn to weeks and their mother doesn’t return, they realize it’s up to them to find the truth.
What they discover is a family they never knew, and a history more tragic and fantastical than Hannah could have dreamed—one that stretches back to her grandmother’s childhood in Prague under the Nazi occupation, and beyond, into the realm of Jewish mysticism and legend. As the past comes crashing into the present, Hannah must hurry to unearth their family’s secrets—and confront her own hidden legacy in order to break the curse and save the people she loves most, as well as herself.
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Praise for FROM DUST, A FLAME:
“A sweeping story of faith and the power of family, this book has broad multi-genre appeal
to any reader that appreciates good writing and an intricate storyline.”
—BCCB STARRED Review
“Filled with fantasy, superstition, and folklore, and with a uniquely Jewish spin,
From Dust, a Flame ventures into daunting but fascinating territory.”
—Jewish Book Council
“From Dust, A Flame is a lyric, deeply moving contemporary fantasy YA that digs into complicated
relationships with Judaism, queerness, and becoming… This is a poignant, propulsive story
that feels at once both wholly original and deeply rooted in Jewish folklore and history.”
—Tor.com
“From Dust, a Flame sits comfortably beside other works of Jewish American YA literature, both classical and recent.
At its core, From Dust, a Flame is a moving story about the enduring power of telling stories.”
—BookPage
“Based on Jewish folklore, this contemporary fantasy is a thrilling story of family, supernatural monsters, fabled heroes, and first love.
Told in chapters alternately focusing on the present day, narrated in the first person, and flashbacks told in the third person,
the story will captivate readers and keep them turning pages until its satisfying conclusion.
An enjoyable, suspenseful modern take on Jewish folklore.”
—Kirkus
“Deftly blending Jewish fact and legend to create a tale of secrets, history, and daring... The result is the rare read
that may appeal equally to lovers of contemporary and fantasy novels.”
—Publishers Weekly
"A complicated, dark, richly woven story of generational trauma, stories and daughters, Jewish folklore,and the promises we make—
and the promises we break—to protect the people we love. I was riveted from the first page to the last.”
—Katherine Locke, author of The Balloonmakers Duology
“From Dust, a Flame speaks to the importance of stories and how they connect us.
A spellbinding tale of mystery and magic that explores grief, loss, and how the choices we make can echo across generations,
this is the sort of book you’ll want to read again the moment you finish.”
—Kalyn Josephson, author of The Storm Crow Duology
“Smart and imaginative, deeply moving, and remarkably fun, From Dust, a Flame breathes fresh air
into Jewish mythology. I loved it.”
—Elana K Arnold, Prinz Honor-winning author of Damsel
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