Publication Date: May 2025
Blurb:
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of a wide expanse of sea. But Louisa, soon to be eighteen years old and an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. She is determined to find out the story behind these three enigmatic figures.
More than two decades before, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up every morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.
Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that, after a chance encounter in an alleyway, will unexpectedly be placed into Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more anxious she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa’s complicated life is proof that happy endings are sometimes possible, but they don’t always take the form we expect them to.
What To Expect:
Readers can expect an emotion filled story that has a big mix of darker themes as well as lighter, heartwarming themes. There are strong themes of found family, friendship, and connection with other humans.
Content Warnings:
Language: Heavy, including some religious exclamations
Sexual Content: Closed door – Romance is not a main focus in the story but there is a recounting of brief kissing. It is implied that a character is LGBTQ and there’s some mild flirting but no physical interactions.
Violence: Moderate – Domestic abuse is prevalent throughout and resulting injuries are mentioned frequently but not graphically described. Some self harm mentioned
Substance Use: Alcoholism. Brief mentions of characters (including underage) getting caught up in drugs but no details.
Prejudices: Homophobic comments
Religious Themes: Most of the characters are unsure of their religious beliefs and wonder if God is real and wonder about the afterlife.
Other Topics: Moderate – Grief & suicide
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