Find Her
by Ginger Reno (Author)
Five years, three months, and twelve days.
That's how long Wren's mother has been missing.
In dreams, Wren can see her again: her eyes, her hair, her smile. She can even hear her laugh. Her mother, one of hundreds of Native Americans considered missing or murdered in Oklahoma. Sometimes it seems like Wren and her grandmother are the only people still looking. Even more frustrating, Wren's overprotective father won't talk about it.
Wren refuses to give up, though. And an opportunity to find lost pets seems like a real way to hone her detective skills. But everything changes when one of the missing pets is found badly hurt. Soon, there are others.
With help from an unlikely friend, Wren vows to unmask whoever is behind the animal abuse. If she can do this, maybe she can do the same for her mother's case. She'll just have to keep it secret from her father who will certainly put an end to all her sleuthing if he finds out.
Find Her explores the crisis of missing Indigenous women from the perspective of a sensitive young Cherokee girl who yearns to find her mother, while also navigating a chilling town mystery, a new friendship, and a family in need of healing.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
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Publishers Weekly
Debut author Reno, who is Cherokee, dives into issues regarding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis through the lens of one child who was left to wonder where her loved one has gone. Twelve-year-old Wren, who is white and Cherokee, is "good at finding things for people." The only thing she can't locate is her Cherokee mother, who disappeared five years ago. "So very sick of having nothing but questions," she instead starts a business locating lost pets ("Her real talent, her real sweet spot, was missing pets"), calling upon her strength as a member of the Wolf Clan, the "protectors," for help. She soon discovers that pets are being viciously killed in the small town of Gibson, Okla., and vows to bring the perpetrator to justice, a plan she keeps from her white police sheriff father and her maternal grandmother. It's only when she's assigned a class project with a schoolmate that Wren gains an ally in her investigation. Via crisp prose, Reno meshes plot threads involving abandoned shelter pets and a mystery surrounding a locator on Wren's grandmother's keys, which emphasize the futility Wren feels in trying to find someone who seems unreachable. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up--Wren is a ghost of who she used to be. Five years ago her mother disappeared without a trace. Every day Wren searches for clues through her police chief dad, online searches, and the MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) movement database. Her elisi (Cherokee for grandmother) is a source of comfort, but there is still something missing. When animals start being hurt and killed, Wren decides to put her research skills to work and find out who is behind the crimes. With her new friend Brantley, she follows the leads until they realize that the person committing these acts may be closer to home than either of them thought. With the backdrop of the Cherokee tribal land in Oklahoma, this book brings into focus the epidemic of missing Indigenous women across the United States in an age-appropriate way. So many of these families, just like Wren's, are given no answers to what happened to their loved ones. Although written for middle schoolers, Reno's debut does not shy away from the truth. With a mystery to solve, students will want to follow Wren on her quest for justice. VERDICT Cherokee writer Reno crafts a powerful debut centering an important issue affecting Indigenous women and families; a strong purchase for all middle schools.--Heather Lassley
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
"A dramatic and captivating call for attention."
Review quotes
"Wren's caring heart and single-minded determination to find her mom shows the frustration and anger felt by too many young people and their families over our country's national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)."—Traci Sorell, award-winning author of Indian No More and Mascot
"Find Her is a compelling novel written with sensitivity by gifted Cherokee writer Ginger Reno. In this contemporary story of Wren and her family in Cherokee Nation, Reno addresses the injustice of so many missing and murdered indigenous relatives and the heartbreak and hope that comes with not knowing. Find a place on your shelves for Find Her."—Andrea L. Rogers, award-winning author of Man Made Monsters
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV011040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Native American
