The Empty Place - by Olivia a Cole (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A girl falls into a parallel universe where all lost things go."--

Book Synopsis

A powerful and imaginative story about a girl fighting to find her way back home from a mind-bending land of the lost.

When Henry's father goes missing in the forest on her tenth birthday, her entire world shatters. The last thing she expects is for him to emerge from the trees exactly one year later, unharmed and bearing a gift for her--a strange necklace.

Everyone says her father's reappearance is a miracle, but Henry wants real answers to her questions. Where did her father go? How did he get back? And what's the truth behind his gift?

Wearing the necklace and carrying only a simple map, Henry enters the same forest that swallowed her father. But beyond the trees, she finds a world more incredible and dangerous than she ever imagined. It's a place for all who are lost, and there's no clear method of escape. As Henry follows in her father's footsteps and searches for a way home, she discovers that the truth she's seeking isn't as simple as she hoped, and if she wants to leave this world, she'll have to be braver than she's ever been.

Review Quotes

★ "Deeply satisfying...This is a story that will resonate with many readers, especially those who enjoy fantasy and coming-of-age stories."--School Library Journal, starred review

★ "In a dreamlike portal fantasy, Cole (Where the Lockwood Grows) examines the nature of home and what it means to be lost."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Cole's latest is infused with beautiful language that accentuates the somber tone. Introspective readers who are seeking a weighty, serious adventure of self-discovery will appreciate this work, in which individuals strive to overcome challenges as they seek their truths... A solemn and compelling read."
--Kirkus

PRAISE FOR WHERE THE LOCKWOOD GROWS

This book is a wonderful breath of fresh air, a mystery of nature and our environment that is brimming with heart. Read, learn and fall in love with Erie's adventure to save her home and her family.--Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the TRISTAN STRONG series

Beautifully written and full of insight and adventure, Where the Lockwood Grows is a timely, ambitious story about justice and finding one's place in the world.--Ashley Herring Blake, award-winning author of IVY ABERDEEN'S LETTER TO THE WORLD

Lyrical, imaginative, and timely- WHERE THE LOCKWOOD GROWS not only makes readers think about their place in the natural world and their own personal responsibility, but is also a gripping and entertaining adventure.--Jasmine Warga, New York Times bestselling author of OTHER WORDS FOR HOME

Olivia Cole is quite simply one of the finest and most unafraid storytellers....She listens, and then she translates, in bold and beautiful words, all the things that matter to her, and most definitely should to us.--Kwame Alexander, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE DOOR OF NO RETURN

About the Author

Olivia A. Cole is a writer from Louisville, Kentucky. Her essays, which often focus on race and womanhood, have been published in Bitch Media, Real Simple, The LA Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Gay Mag, and more. She teaches creative writing at the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts, where she guides her students through poetry and fiction, but also considerations of the world and who they are within it. She is the author of several books for children and adults. Learn more about Olivia and her work at oliviaacole.com and follow her on Twitter @RantingOwl.