Release:January 12th 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo
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Kimberly Willis Holt’s The Ambassador of Nowhere, Texas is a stunning post-9/11 companion to the National Book Award winner When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.
Decades after the Vietnam War and Toby’s life-changing summer with Zachary Beaver, Toby’s daughter Rylee is at a crossroads. Her best friend Twig has started pushing her away just as Joe, a new kid from New York, settles into their small town of Antler. Rylee befriends Joe and learns that Joe’s father was a first responder on 9/11. The two unlikely friends soon embark on a project to find Zachary Beaver . And they hopefully reconnect him with Rylee’s father almost thirty years later.
This beautiful middle grade novel is a tribute to friendships old and new . And it explores the challenges of rebuilding what may seem lost or destroyed.
Christy Ottaviano Books
About the Author:
Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including Piper Reed, Navy Brat, Clubhouse Queen, and Rodeo Star. She has written many award-winning novels, including The Water Seeker and My Louisiana Sky, as well as the picture books Waiting for Gregory and Skinny Brown Dog. A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida. And she lived all over the U.S. and the world from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director. She also marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, won a National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family.
The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas Review:
“The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas” is a beautiful novel that explores friendship and forgiveness, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
To begin with, I loved the theme of friendship that the author portrays in the story. She beautifully conveys that it is never too late to rekindle the company with a true friend, no matter how old you are. The author also highlights how important it is to understand one another and not be judgemental. I loved how the author portrayed these messages across various characters, whether it be Zachery and Toby, Rylee, Joe, and Twig. Rylee is a beautiful character with a charming attitude. Rylee and Joe share a beautiful connection and have many memorable moments.
Honestly, I loved Joe’s character more than Rylee. He goes through so much in the story. Initially, you feel he is snobbish and arrogant, but later, you realize the reason for his behavior. I loved the scenes where Joe rides the bike from Sheriff Levi and how everyone applauds for his father. Similarly, it was interesting to see how Rylee and Twig’s friendship progressed. The author wrote the characters so personally, where you feel like you are with them on their adventures.
Moreover, the story takes place during the 9/11 event, and the author poignantly touches on the events that took place and how they affected everyone. The author also spices the plot with the entertaining investigation of Zachary Beaver. I enjoyed how Joe and Rylee took this as a project and conducted their research to learn about him.
Overall, I thought this was a delightful middle-grade novel. I will surely pick up the companion novel “When Zachary Beaver came to Town” to dive into the character’s lives again.
