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Wider than the Sky Paperback – December 7, 2021

by Katherine Rothschild (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 46 ratings
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In the wake of sudden tragedy, twin sisters uncover a secret that rips open their world. Katherine Rothschild explores the pain and power of forgiveness in a stunning debut novel that will shatter your heart and piece it back together, one truth at a time.

Sixteen-year-old Sabine Braxton doesn’t have much in common with her identical twin, Blythe. When their father dies from an unexpected illness, each copes with the loss in her own way—Sabine by “poeting” (an uncontrollable quirk of bursting into poetry at inappropriate moments) and Blythe by obsessing over getting into MIT, their father’s alma mater. Neither can offer each other much support . . . at least not until their emotionally detached mother moves them into a ramshackle Bay Area mansion owned by a stranger named Charlie.

Soon, the sisters unite in a mission to figure out who Charlie is and why he seems to know everything about them. They make a life-changing discovery:their parents were hiding secrets about their sexual identities. The revelation unravels Sabine’s world, while practical Blythe seems to take everything in stride. Once again at odds with her sister, Sabine chooses to learn all she can about the father she never knew. Ultimately, she must decide if she can embrace his last wish for a family legacy--even if it means accepting a new idea of what it means to be a family.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Soho Teen
  4. Publication date
    December 7, 2021
  5. Grade level
    9 - 12
  6. Reading age
    14 - 17 years
  7. Dimensions
    5.54 x 0.75 x 8.27 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1641292687
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1641292689
  10. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Wider than the Sky

“Sabine’s struggle to reconcile her memory of her father with the man he really was—and to make room in her life for his hopes as well as her own—cuts to the heart of what it means to love someone unconditionally. Wider than the Sky skillfully weaves multiple character arcs together to examine the ideas of home, hope, and family in surprising new ways.”
—Misa Sugiura, It's Not Like It's a Secret

"Lyrical and lovely, Wider than the Sky is one of those rare books that has everything—masterful storytelling, a great love story, important themes, razor-sharp wit, and memorable characters. It's a gorgeous debut that will capture your heart."
—Corina Vacco, Delacorte Prize–winning author of My Chemical Mountain
 
“I haven’t stopped thinking about these sisters since I first read Wider than the Sky. Sabine and Blythe will leap off the page and live in your memories like old friends. There is so much heart and humor in Katherine’s writing; even as her characters grapple with serious concerns and issues, she captures how life can slice us open and yet give us the ability to laugh and love and hope through the deepest pain and loss.”
—Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times bestselling author of Book Scavenger

“Rothschild’s story showcases how secrets impede a person’s ability to see the world clearly and that self-acceptance and honesty are the keys to a happy ending.”
—School Library Journal

“Change comes suddenly to the lives of 16-year-old Sabine and her identical twin sister, Blythe, when their father dies unexpectedly, prompting their mother and a strange man named Charlie to move the girls to the small town of Thornewood . . . Rothschild’s first novel is accomplished and nicely plot-rich with some interesting quirks, chief among them being Sabine’s deep-rooted love for Emily Dickinson’s poetry and her compulsive need to recite it.”
—Booklist

“Kath Rothschild’s Wider than the Sky is pitch perfect! Young adult readers will fall in love with her wonderfully quirky narrator Sabine and her swoony romance with Kai. Combine that with family secrets and a mysterious stranger and you have the ingredients for a compelling read. I cannot wait to put it in the hands of my young customers!”
—Kathleen Caldwell, A Great Good Place for Books (Oakland, CA)

About the Author

Katherine Rothschild, PhD, is a Lecturer in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University, a former Arabic dance instructor, and an obsessive food truck follower. She's the recipient of a Vermont Studio Center artist's grant, and her personal essays have been published on KQED/NPR, in the San Francisco Chronicle, and in several other publications. She graduated from UC Irvine's creative writing program and earned an MFA in fiction writing at St. Mary's College of California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Soho Teen (December 7, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641292687
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641292689
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.54 x 0.75 x 8.27 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
46 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

MC
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and beautifully written!
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was right there with Sabine and her grief, despair, anger, and love throughout this story. Written with lyricism and confidence, Rothschild takes us through the mystery of Sabine’s father’s death—and life. While struggling to come to terms with new and shocking information, Sabine is also falling in love. The build-up and wonderfully drawn first and subsequent kiss scenes kept me turning pages. Unusual in this story are the topics of HIV-AIDS as well as non-traditional relationships and the question of how much and when parents should share information about themselves and their health with their teen kids. I appreciated Rothschild taking up these complicated issues and sharing Sabine’s pain as she tries to work through them. Also, as huge fan of Emily Dickinson, I loved the quotes.
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Lindsey M
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing and literate yarn with wonderful poetic reference throughout. A wonderful read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
Katherine Rothschild’s debut novel is written in the voice of an original and exciting new author. Her quirky characters are richly drawn. The plot is plum full of unexpected twists. The insular small town setting is a character unto itself. A word of caution: do yourself a favor and restrain yourself from the temptation to read the back cover before you’re deep into the book. I refrained and am so glad I did. While the enticing details may draw the reader in, IMHO, too many spoilers! Having devoured this book, I’m looking forward to seeing what future nuggets Rothschild has up her sleeve. In the meantime, I need to re-read Emily Dickenson!
One person found this helpful
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Rebecca Malovany Fulop
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and frankly, I don’t even particularly enjoy Emily Dickinson (shhh—don’t tell). The story was original and creative, the characters felt very real, and the setting was well developed. Because the story was written on multiple levels it kept my interest as an adult reader. I can’t wait for Ms. Rothschild’s next book to come out!
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Alana Sheeren
4.0 out of 5 stars Secrets, forgiveness and finding love in a non-traditional family
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Spoiler alert below:

I appreciated the exploration of how secrets and loss affect us, and how different people navigate them in different ways.

As an adult reading a YA novel (I enjoy them and I also have a teen) I thought the author did a nice job of handling some tough subject matter (death, illness, HIV/AIDS) along with more teenage stuff (falling in love with your best friend’s crush, navigating parties). I appreciated that the characters had genuine love for each other and in the end, they were willing to communicate with each other even when it was hard to.

This is also the first YA book I’ve read that has a polyamorous marriage as part of the background of the story and it does so in a way that makes it clear both relationships were genuinely about love.

While there were a few convenient plot turns, it was an enjoyable read and I’m recommending this to my teen, without hesitation.
2 people found this helpful
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Aly P
2.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't for me.
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021
The premise of this book is pretty unique, especially in a YA story so I was excited to jump in. The book follows Sabine, who's father has passed away suddenly and as a result she, her twin, and her mom have to move in with a mysterious stranger named Charlie. The twist is that Charlie was her father's lover, he was bisexual and in a polyamorous relationship with his wife and Charlie. I'm not bisexual or polyamorous so I can't speak to the accuracy, but it didn't paint the adults in a good light. I had hoped the unique relationship would be presented in a positive light, but it just made it seem like their father couldn't be faithful and everyone kept secrets that hurt others.

I found all the characters unlikeable, so I struggled enjoying the story. I completely understand Sabine and Blythe's sadness and anger, they just lost their father then learned that he was lying to them for their entire lives. Plus they were uprooted and are forced to live with their father's lover, that's a lot to take in. Unfortunately, Blythe isn't there for her sister, dismissing her compulsion as 'crazy' and telling her that she's going to college and not looking back. Sabine makes several bad choices out of selfishness and hurts others without much consideration. I also found her poeting annoying and the repeat of Hope Bird got old quick.

I didn't think Sabine and Kai should have been together, they both lied and he had the gall to let Emma kiss him and hang over him and tell Sabine that he didn't like Emma and she had nothing to worry about! That is not someone I'd want to trust, let alone date. I wish Sabine could have realized that and stopped going after him.

The ending was hopeful and I was glad that Sabine stopped sabotaging everything and made up with her family. This book just wasn't for me, but I'm interested to see what else the author writes.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Shan T
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic story about love and loss
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
At the beginning of this novel, Sabine and her twin sister Blythe are dealing with a lot of unexpected change: their father has died suddenly and their mom has moved them into a house in San Francisco that their dad owned with his friend, Charlie. As the twins try to process their grief and adapt to a new life both at home and school, they uncover a secret that leads them to question everything they thought they knew about their parents and themselves. The story unfolds through Sabine's point of view, and I especially liked that she's believably flawed: she makes mistakes that she has to untangle and she acts in ways that are sometimes generous, and also sometimes naive and selfish, because she's human. This is a beautifully written story about loss, first love, forgiveness, embracing the people in your life for who they really are, and losing your bearings and then finding them again. And it's also filled with poetry!
One person found this helpful
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