The Sweetness of Salt

The Sweetness of Salt by Cecilia Galante. Published by Bloomsbury, 2011.

Class Valedictorian Julia is approaching her summer with mixed feelings. She has an internship lined up at the courthouse, a pre-law scholarship for a great college and everything seems to be coming together. So why isn’t she excited?

Family arguments always ensue whenever her sister Sophie comes for a visit. Graduation day is the usual anticipated disaster and by the end of the day Sophie has fled back to her home in Vermont, but not before she dropped a few bombshells. For one thing, she is opening a bakery, giving her car to Julia and invited her to come for a visit. And if that didn’t cause enough chaos, Sophie yells about an awful family secret.

Julia has a crush on next neighbor Milo but realizes her feelings aren’t reciprocated. Timing seems perfect for a visit to Sophie. Of course, Julia’s parents don’t agree, but Julia knows they aren’t telling her the truth. Sophie has volatile relationships with her entire family, so Julia knows this is going to be a challenging visit. In fact, it is going to change her life.

This realistic fiction is recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Visit author Cecilia Galante's website