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| Category: Fiction:Young Adult | |
| About the Book | |
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Free Excerpt From The Book (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) Off the Grid is a sometimes light hearted, sometimes serious story about a family suddenly thrust into an adventure when circumstances take a unexpected and tragic turn.When Jamie Keller’s father is killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb, her mother decides to combat the financial and emotional stress by moving the family from Hamilton, Ohio, to the rural town of Promise, Oregon. Fourteen-year-old Jamie narrates the tale of the journey, intermingling descriptions of family dynamics with her own personal philosophy of life. The victims of Jamie’s scrutiny include: her older sister Jenny, who listens to praise music and wears a WWJD bracelet; younger brother Jake, contained and brainy, with know-it-all tendencies; and little sister Jana, lover of animals and sometimes the comic relief. In Reno, Nevada, the mystery begins when Jamie’s mother fails to pick the kids up at the mall as had been previously arranged. After waiting for hours in the blazing heat, brother Jake finally goes in search of his mom only to return with an amazing story. He has located the car, and everything is intact, (including the family’s pet cats), but Mrs. Keller is nowhere to be found. Intensive searching proves futile. Their mother has vanished! Nervous about becoming wards of the state of Nevada, and fearful of being put in separate foster homes, the Keller kids decide to avoid authority, choosing instead to take the gamble, and continue on to Promise, Oregon. On the way into town, a giant JESUS banner is the first sign that Promise Oregon is in a bible belt. Jenny is thrilled, Jamie, not so. Upon arriving at the ranch, the Kellers’ are met with further disappointment as they realize that the ‘ranch’ is nothing more than an old trailer, without electricity. Jake is in his element, with the challenge of solar panels, batteries and generators, but the girls are far from enchanted. War, religion, world peace, inner peace, self sufficiency, alien abductions, mushroom harvesting, guitar playing, song writing and dealing with financial stress, are some of the key topics in the story. In the end the children locate their mother through a song that they hear on the radio. The song is called “A Rainbow Is a Promise”. It has been produced by the author and is available on CD. Off the Grid, is a contemporary novelette, directed at children 14-114, years old. It is a must-read mystery with a clear message.
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| About the Author | |
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EN McNamara lives on a small lavender farm in Oregon with one horse, two goats, four cats, eight chickens, one dog, an alpaca, thousands of bees and one old guy who comes in handy sometimes. They run Lord and Lady Lavender, teach music, and play professionally as the duet Moonglow. |
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