Jennifer Longo

Muiriel hasn't stayed anywhere longer than 11 months for a long time, but as she gets closer to high school graduation and aging out of the foster care system, her social worker brings her to one more home - and asks Muiriel to try to stay and make it her last. Sure she can't depend on anyone but herself, Muiriel promises to try but is reluctant to make friends or trust anyone.

This is as clear-eyed a look as I've ever seen of the foster care system. I loved Muiriel - and in case you're show more wondering about the spelling, you find out pretty quickly that she was named after John Muir in the hospital where she was found as an infant - and the cast of characters she comes to meet on an island in Puget Sound: the foster mom, Francine; a maybe friend, Kira; a maybe boyfriend, Sean. We see Muir's present, her fears for the future, and flashbacks of her past in the system. She's a fierce advocate for herself, and shares a lot about the imperfections of the system as well. show less

"Growing up in foster care, Muir has an unbreakable rule: pack light. Toothbrush? Yes. Socks? Yes. Friends? Family? A boyfriend? No way. She knows better than to weigh herself down with additional baggage. and now Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. All she has to do is make it through senior year and she can start living life on her own terms. But then she meets. Francine. And Kira. And Sean. And everything changes" back cover
Poignant, compelling protagonist: show more resilent, a caring heart in spite of her "rules" about not getting involved, not expecting anything, from anyone, ever. A bit heavyhanded on evaluation of foster care/adoption system & the myriads of ways foster kids don't do well - an 18 yr old teen knows all this, really? - but definitely informative. Great riffs on John Muir & his passion for nature, the outdoors, preserving & protecting the environment - now Muiriel aspires (secretly, who can afford to go to college?) to be a forest ranger?, something to do with the great forests/lands of the West. Seattle/Bainbridge Island setting, including history of the past: Japanese internment of Island residents during WWII. A critical "reveal" in Ch 18 gives credence to Muiriel's dogged insistence on NOT believing in emotional ties, a family, a boyfriend, a "real" friend.
Well drawn supporting characters; an uplifting ending -what a relief after so many grim urban teen tales of young girls "in the system". Great read even for PG readers. Author's Note at end of book helps explain the themes & approach to Muiriel's story. show less

From the first sentence, I loved this character-driven, heartfelt, intensely-researched novel featuring Muiriel, a seventeen-year-old teen who tries to follow the philosophy of her namesake, John Muir, but is too independent and must learn to trust. She is supported by her always-there-for-her social worker, Joellen; her last foster mom, Francine and her dog, Terry Johnson; first and best friend, Kira; and her co-worker/boyfriend, Sean, all well-developed characters.
Throughout, Ms. Longo show more sprinkles quotes from John Muir that Muir uses to fortify herself. Muir truly loves nature and walking has been her savior as she moves from foster home to foster home. So has Fruit Stripe gum, the scent of which, tucked into her pillowcase at each new placement, consoless her with a sense of familiarity, despite the different smells in every home. Muir is a strong young woman who loves children and has volunteered at libraries and in foster homes to teach and support them. So when she gets to her last placement on a Salish Sea island (modeled after Bainbridge) and discovers an opening at Salishwood (modeled after Islandwood, I believe), an environmental learning center, she is thrilled, and even more so when she gets the internship. Francine is kind and understanding, gives her space with boundaries, Kira and Sean are the best of friends, yet still Muir doesn't want to get too close, for fear of becoming too dependent on them. Being an independent, "good" girl (good grades, never out late, does chores) is how she's survived her whole life in foster care. She is overwhelmed by caring and kindness.
The title comes from the items Muir carries with her from placement to placement - mementos or gifts, one of which is the John Muir book. Her other book is Bread and Jam for Frances by Russel and Lillian Hoban. Frances the badger eats only bread and jam. This simple fair becomes Muir's favorite because "... every house has bread ... every house has jam." (p. 52-53) Her third book is a gift from Sean: Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson edited by Linda Lear.
Ms. Longo also addresses the Japanese-American internment through Kira and her family, who are fourth generation islanders. Kira's grandparents were sent to Manzanar. Kira tells Muir: "When the internment started, the government searched all the orphanages for Japanese kids. If a baby had even one-eighth Japanese blood, they were taken to Manzanar, to this makeshift orphanage called Children's Village." (p. 288)
In her Author's Note, Ms. Longo writes that she wrote this for her daughter, who was born into foster care and lived in three placements before being adopted. She also interviewed social workers, and youth in and aged out of foster care, so I trust her story. I learned that there are wonderful people in the system like Joellen and Francine, and awful ones, too, and that there is a misunderstanding among many adults that youth in foster care should be grateful for placements. In reality, being in foster care is not the child's fault and foster parents and adoptees need to foster/adopt for the child, not for themselves. One incident in the book, which I trust is based on a similar, real incident, tells of an elementary aged girl accused of stealing by her foster parent. A police officer is sent to interrogate the child during a school field trip! Muir, with the help of her support group, proves that the child is innocent, but the fact that children are accused just because they're in foster care, is detestable. Foster children are often assumed to be trouble. And once they "age out" at 18, foster youth receive no more support from the state or Feds. Please support the organizations listed in the comments below.
The paperback (and perhaps hardcover?) has gorgeous cover art by Spun Inthawong show less

OMG, I LOVED this book!! What a delight. Wonderful and quirky—full of small moments in a coffee shop with raspberry jam and toast, and a dog you just want to cuddle up with. Plus awesome friend relationships! Muir, short for Muiriel, has spent her entire life in foster care. It’s been a rough road. She’s got her case worker, who she’s close to, and over the years has learned getting attached to anyone is a dangerous thing. Now at seventeen, she’s going to her last placement before show more she’ll age out of the system and be left on her own with no support. She goes to Francine in a tiny island community. She’s to be Francine’s last foster child, too. But when Muir starts making friends, and she and Francine develop a bond, things don’t go as planned. But Muir can’t allow them to get close. That only ends in ruin.

This was a wonderful tale, full of warm friendships, a mother/daughter bond that sneaks up on you in the best way, a great dog(!), and a close-knit island community that just makes you want to visit. The author really knows how to convey emotional moments in tiny bits of story, from stolen bits of nothing treasure scattered in tiny forgotten flashbacks throughout the narrative, to watching the Bachelor with a cinnamon roll dog curled in your lap. I loved it from start to finish.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less