The Year I Flew Away

In this magical middle grade novel, ten-year-old Gabrielle finds out that America isn’t the perfect place she imagined when she moves from Haiti to Brooklyn. With the help of a clever witch, Gabrielle becomes the perfect American—but will she lose herself in the process? Perfect for fans of Hurricane Child and Front Desk.

It’s 1985 and ten-year-old Gabrielle is excited to be moving from Haiti to America. Unfortunately, her parents won’t be able to join her yet and she’ll be living in a place called Brooklyn, New York, with relatives she has never met.

She promises her parents that she will behave, but life proves to be difficult in the United States, from learning the language to always feeling like she doesn’t fit in to being bullied. So when a witch offers her a chance to speak English perfectly and be “American,” she makes the deal.

But soon she realizes how much she has given up by trying to fit in and, along with her two new friends (one of them a talking rat), takes on the witch in an epic battle to try to reverse the spell.

Gabrielle is a funny and engaging heroine you won’t soon forget in this sweet and lyrical novel that’s perfect for fans of Hurricane Child and Front Desk.

What does it truly mean to belong, and is any price too high to pay for it?

• A Deal with a Witch: When a witch named Lady Lydia offers Gabrielle a chance to speak perfect English and fit in, she says yes. But every magical wish comes with a price.
• Unlikely Friendship: To reverse the spell, Gabrielle must team up with her new friend Carmen and Rocky—a hilarious, talking rat with big dreams of his own.
• Finding Your Voice: A heartfelt and funny exploration of what it means to be yourself, celebrating your roots while finding your place in a new world.
• 1980s Brooklyn Setting: Journey back to a vibrant 1985 New York, full of new sights, sounds, and challenges for a girl far from her home in Haiti.