Winterfolk - Janel Kolby

This gorgeous and lyrical debut novel is perfect for fans of Nova Ren Suma, Laura Ruby, and Nina LaCour.

Rain doesn't wish on stars anymore.

For as long as she can remember, her home has been among the Winterfolk, a group of homeless people living outside Seattle. Being homeless has taught Rain how to be invisible.

But when she discovers that the city plans to sweep out the Winterfolk's camp, her world is shattered. Determined to face the world like she's never had to before, she convinces her friend King to take her to Seattle.

The city is full of strange sights, sounds, people-and memories. When Rain and King are separated, she must fend for herself, and realizes that she's not invisible after all. And if she's going to save herself, King, and the Winterfolk, she'll need to find a star big enough to make all of her wishes come true.

Janel Kolby is a poet and story writer for teens and children. She is a graduate of Hamline University's MFAC program and lives in Seattle with her family and Sunny Arms community. Winterfolk is her debut novel.

"With its gorgeous prose, big heart, and sophisticated interplay between fantasy and reality, Winterfolk gently shows us that hope is its own kind of magic. Janel Kolby is a visionary, electrifying writer."
Anne Ursu, National Book Award Finalist for The Real Boy

"Richly observed and wholly original, Winterfolk exists in that slippery realm between magic and reality. Rain's race to save her community and find herself while navigating the seamy underbelly of Seattle feels like a fever dream, propulsive, hallucinatory, and profoundly moving."
Laura Ruby, National Book Award Finalist and Printz Award Winning Author of Bone Gap

"Skillfully balances hard realism with hope. A thoughtful dive into a far-too-often-overlooked part of society."
Kirkus Reviews

"Rain's compassionate narrative illuminates emotional, psychosocial, educational, and physical challenges impacting homeless people."
School Library Journal

"Fans of Jandy Nelson and Anna-Marie McLemore will revel in Kolby's emotional, layered prose that has a poetic quality. Rain's unique voice will propel readers through this impressive first novel that highlights a too-often overlooked part of the population. Gorgeous, expressive magical realism from a promising debut author."
Booklist

"Winterfolk is all about Rain's unique, poetic voice, and her distant, fairy tale view of the world. It's rare to find a book that is so gentle and so brutal at once, but Rain will take your hand and show you the way through."
NPR