Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Emily is trapped in a destiny that she isn't sure is actually hers. Named for the poet Emily Dickinson, her mother has big dreams that Emily will become a famous poet someday. Unfortunately, Emily isn't a big fan of poetry. In fact, she'd much rather read Danielle Steel and swoon over the happy endings. Who wouldn't?

I fell utterly in love with Emily and her friends. Each and every character in this book pops off the page. Emily is inquisitive, bright and witty. Some of the things she says show more made me giggle out loud, especially the dialogue between her and her best friend. With an intelligence far beyond her age, she's quite a charming little girl! Surrounding her are characters with all types of personalities, from Mortie who is a little army survivalist, to Cecily Ann who is the true poet. The tapestry of personalities here is wonderful and full. I can't gush enough.

Best of all is the story line. This isn't just your typical coming-of-age story. Emily is on a mission both to find her true path in life, and to find her missing father. Watching her navigate the roadblocks that pop up in her way was exciting, and the question of destiny vs. choice plays a big factor here. Young readers will be enamored with her journey, and the lack of any real angst in the story helps keep things light.

Even if I wasn't a giant fan of Middle Grade fiction, which I completely am, I'd still recommend this charming book! This is a light, sweet and enjoyable read. Ready to dive into something fun? Destiny, Rewritten is definitely a book to add to your reading list. show less

Before Emily Elizabeth Davis was born, her mother found a copy of the complete poems of Emily Dickinson in a used bookstore and declared that her daughter was destined to grow up to be a poet. The poetry book became for Emily what a baby book is for other children, with her mother noting Emily's childhood milestones in the margins of significant poems. However, sensible, methodical Emily (now in elementary school) is not sure she wants to be a poet -- she'd rather write romances like her show more idol Danielle Steele. More than anything, though, she wants to know who her father is . . . but her mother always says that she will learn about her father when fate brings it about. Then, one day, Emily's mother reveals that she wrote the name of Emily's father on one of the pages of the poetry book -- but before Emily can search the book for his name, the poetry book is accidentally put in a box of items that are donated to a charity shop. Emily and her friends embark on a quest to all of the city's used bookstores in order to recover the book, and along the way Emily questions whether destiny controls her actions, or whether she is in control of her own destiny. Will Emily ever find the poetry book? Will she ever find out about her father?

I'm not sure if it's the reading slump I've been in this year, my personal aversion to the poetry of Emily Dickinson (don't shoot! It's all of those -- dashes that drive me -- Crazy) or something lacking in the book itself, but I never really connected with the story or the characters, other than to be extremely irrritated by Emily's stereotypical "Dreamy Poet" mother. Another reader might get more out of this book than I did, but it's not one I really see myself recommending. show less

I really liked the character of Groovy and her story of coming to terms with the betrayal within her own family. What I really had a difficult time with was figuring out the passage of time between scenes and the time of year it was supposed to be. The story was very well told with a good plot. Groovy was a very mature young lady, that despite her hardships and the faults and challenges her parents presented, she loved both of them very much and remained a loyal and faithful daughter. The show more ending was great filled with forgiveness and love. Good first book Ms. Fritzmaurice. show less

After the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor Tetsu’s father is taken away by the FBI. Not long after that he, his mother, and his sister, Kimi, are taken to an internment camp. They have to leave their home and dog in California, taking only a few belongings with them to the barracks in Arizona. The hot desert climate is only one of the many difficult things to adjust to about their new life. Tetsu worries about his father and is concerned that there isn’t a way to get in touch with him because show more his father cannot read or write English. Their living conditions involve a lot of sweeping, bad bathroom conditions, and lots of new people. School couldn't be more different from the way it was before coming to the camp, but luckily there's a volunteer who helps to teach the children. Tetsu misses baseball and wants to play again. When the opportunity arises to help build and create a baseball field on the land outside the barracks, Tetsu jumps at the chance. He can't wait for everything to be cleared out and ready so he can play, but when that day comes his sister needs him, and he becomes frustrated. He leaves her and goes to play some baseball for the first time in ages. What should have been a great day, changes when he learns that his sister is missing. When she can't be found anywhere later that day or night, Tetsu becomes frantic. Will they be able to find Kimi? Will Tetsu and his father ever be reunited? How long will they have to stay at the internment camp? Take this trip through history to find out what life was like for some of the Japanese who were relocated to internment camps.


A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice appealed to me because I enjoy historical fiction. It's one of my favorite ways to learn more about what's happened in the past; the characters help the setting and situation come alive for me. Each chapter was very short, which made this a fast read. I could relate to Tetsu and felt so sorry for him and all the other people who were at the camp. It makes the reader realize that it's not fair to treat people badly simply because other people who look like them or come from the same place they came from are bad. I especially enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end and finding out about the research she did to write this book. It was interesting to know that she interviewed people who really were at the camp and who played baseball there. I had no idea baseball was such a big part of the camps, but I can see how it gave people hope and something else to think about. I recommend this book to kids in third grade and up. Adults will also enjoy learning more about this time in history. I look forward to reading more books by this author. show less