Beneath Wandering Stars

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Gabi Santiago has been an army brat all of her life. Currently stationed in Germany, she is biding her time on the U.S. base until she can move back to Texas—the closest place she has to a home—and attend UT Austin. But Gabi's plans are derailed when her older brother Lucas, deployed in Afghanistan, is gravely wounded. In a coma and unable to speak, Lucas has communicated with Gabi in other ways, most notably in a letter he left with best friend Seth that asks them to travel the Camino de Santiago in Spain. There is no love lost between Gabi and Seth, but as they make their pilgrimage along the famed route, they inevitably come to understand each other and reveal some closely held truths. What, for example, did Gabi do to enrage her father while they lived in Texas? And what, exactly, was Seth's role the day that Lucas was injured? Cowles answers these and other questions in due time as Gabi slowly realizes, despite prior denials, that she's on a journey of self-discovery. This is a believable and well-written tale full of references to Homer and Chaucer. The descriptions of the often crowded and touristy Camino de Santiago and the wide range of characters who populate it are authentic rather than idealized. Readers will feel Gabi's pain—both emotional and physical—as she endures a host of adverse conditions along the route. In the end, her eventual maturation, acceptance of her responsibilities, and changing feelings toward Seth seem organic rather than forced.