After months of living without electricity or parents, Tig and Peter are forced to move in with their Uncle Scott and his partner, Manny. The transition from down-and-out to picture-perfect isn't easy, especially in pristine Wensleydale with the idyllic couple and their beautiful home.

Tig, with Peter's support, decides to make their new life messy, starting with daily arguments and her plans to become a competitive cheese racer. She'll run circles around her new guardians, outrun a wheel of cheese, and leave the past buried in her dust. 

But things don't always go as planned, and Tig must decide what to truly leave behind in order to move forward.

(Tundra Books 2024 - Publisher’s Page)

“The sympathy on his face leaked out his pores and dripped on the floor. I put on my imaginary boots and splashed in his pity puddle. He got drenched. I stayed dry. My yellow raincoat matched my boots."

“Smith’s short, beautifully written, chapterless work contains many section breaks and should appeal to reluctant readers. For middle-grade readers, especially fans of melancholy yet hopeful family tales of overcoming adversity.”

- Booklist

“A moving, accessible tale of trauma, laced with a compelling sense of optimism.”

- Kirkus Reviews

“A devastatingly honest novel about foster care, neurodivergence, family, and resilience.”

– School Library Journal Starred Review

“Through Tig’s eyes, readers experience the profound truth that family isn’t always defined by blood, but by the bonds of understanding and acceptance forged through shared experiences.”

– Young Adulting