There Is a Door in This Darkness - by Kristin Cashore

Book Synopsis

A magic-tinged contemporary YA about grief and hope from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of the Graceling Realm novels.

Wilhelmina Hart is part of the infamous class of 2020. Her high school years began with a shocking presidential election and ended with a pandemic. In the midst of this global turmoil, she also lost one of her beloved aunts, a loss she still feels keenly. Having deferred college, Wilhelmina now lives in a limbo she can see no way out of, like so many of her peers. Wilhelmina's personal darkness would be unbearable (especially with another monumental election looming) but for the inexplicable and seemingly magical clues that have begun to intrude on her life--flashes of bizarre, ecstatic whimsy that seem to add up to a message she can't quite grasp. But something tells her she should follow their lead. Maybe a trail of elephants, birds, angels, and stale doughnuts will lead Wilhelmina to a door?

Review Quotes

★"Cashore threads fiction with fact in a three-generational story of love, loss, and friendship.... [A] must for all collections.--SLJ, starred review

"Cashore's command over language and her incredible mind for extraordinary ideas are reminiscent of Madeleine L'Engle. There Is a Door in This Darkness contains the wonder, and the ideas it holds are bigger than words."--Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie and I'm The Girl

"How do we get through hard and confusing times? There Is a Door in This Darkness shows us the way with charm, heart, and a sprinkle of magic. This story of family, friendship, and love is told with some very timely essentials: kindness, compassion, and empathy."--Deb Caletti, National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honoree

"Cashore's work is alive to the wonder of this world--grounding you in it one aching, perfect page at a time. Wilhelmina is a mighty main character whose adventures leave an indelible glow. Also, this book has the best magical aunts ever written."--A. R. Capetta, Lambda-Literary-award-winning and bestselling author

"Cashore's novel is rich with a quality of observation and multifarious detail that suits adolescent angst, loss, and the limited stimulation of pandemic 'bubbles.'... Although set in the recent past, this is a work of historical and magical realism with unsettling contemporary resonances."--Horn Book

"A nimbly braided slice-of-life tale."--PW

"An in-depth character study with wonder as a subtle but steady undertone."--Booklist

About the Author

Kristin Cashore grew up in the northeast Pennsylvania countryside as the second of four daughters. She received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, and she has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, a legal assistant, and a freelance writer. She has lived in many places (including Sydney, New York City, Boston, London, Austin, and Jacksonville, Florida), and she currently lives in the Boston area. Her epic fantasy novels set in the Graceling Realm--Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue--have won many awards and much high praise, including picks as ALA Best Books for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Booklist Editors Choice, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. In addition, Graceling was shortlisted for the William C. Morris Debut Award and Fire is an Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Winner.