“Winningly intense.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A powerful novel of tremendous empathy and optimism.” —Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist
“Exquisitely written and painfully real.” —Megan E. Freeman, award-winning author of Alone
When a twelve-year-old decides that she must get herself and her mother out of a bad situation, an eerie connection to a coyote pack helps her see who she’s meant to be—and who she can truly save. The Benefits of Being an Octopus meets The Nest in this contemporary middle grade novel about family, class, and resilience, with a magical twist.
Twelve-year-old Fud feels trapped. She lives a precarious life in a cramped trailer with her mom and her mom’s alcoholic ex-boxer boyfriend, Larry. Fud can see it’s only a matter of time until Larry explodes again, even if her mom keeps on making excuses for his behavior. If only Fud could find a way to be as free as the coyotes roaming the Wyoming countryside: strong, smart, independent, and always willing to protect their own.
When Larry comes home with a rusted-out houseboat, Fud is horrified to hear that he wants to fix it up for them to live on permanently. All she sees is a floating prison. Then new-neighbor Leigh tells Fud about Miss Black Gold, a beauty pageant sponsored by the local coal mine. While Fud doesn’t care much about gowns or talents or prancing around on stage, she cares very much about getting herself and her mom away from Larry before the boat is finished. And to do that, she needs money, in particular that Miss Black Gold prize money.
One problem: the more Fud fantasizes about escape, the more her connection to the coyotes lurking outside her window grows. And strange things have started happening—is Fud really going color-blind? Are her eyebrows really getting bushier? And why does it suddenly seem like she can smell everything?
Jessica Vitalis crafts a moving and voice-driven novel about family and resilience, with a fantastical twist. Coyote Queen is perfect for readers of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and The Elephant in the Room.
- Poverty and Class: Fud lives a life of yard sale clothes and cramped trailers, a world away from the pageant gowns and perfect lives of other girls.
- Resilience and Courage: Faced with her mom’s abusive boyfriend and his terrifying plan to trap them on a houseboat, Fud finds the strength to fight back in the most unexpected way.
- A Mother-Daughter Story: Fud is determined to save her mom, but first she has to convince her that Larry’s behavior is not something she has to accept.
- Wyoming Setting: The stark, lonely beauty of the Wyoming countryside is the backdrop for Fud’s transformation, where the howls of the coyote pack feel closer than any human voice.
Jessica Vitalis is the author of The Wolf’s Curse, The Rabbit’s Gift, and Coyote Queen. She is a full-time writer with a previous career in business and an MBA from Columbia Business School. An American expat, she now lives in Canada with her husband and two daughters.
