Phoebe Stone realizó una transición de una exitosa carrera como pintora de bellas artes a cautivadoras obras para jóvenes lectores. Su experiencia en las artes visuales, marcada por un estilo narrativo y metafórico único y lleno de color, influyó en muchos artistas regionales. Stone descubrió que podía fusionar su pasión por las imágenes y las palabras en libros ilustrados, a menudo basándose en su trabajo previo en secuencias. Su prosa es celebrada por su calidad poética, obteniendo elogios por sus novelas y reconocimiento por sus obras ilustradas.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story follows Felicity Bathburn in Bottlebay, Maine, as she navigates family dynamics with her quirky relatives and her affection for their foster child, Derek. Tension escalates when a man appears, claiming to be Derek's biological father, raising unsettling questions that lead Felicity to doubt his intentions and protect those she cares about.
Set in Paris, a twelve-year-old girl named Petunia begins to emerge from the shadow of her favored half-sister, Ava. As she navigates new friendships and uncovers family secrets, Petunia discovers a surprising talent for dress design inspired by classic French dolls. This newfound confidence creates tension with Ava, who struggles to cope with Petunia's blossoming creativity and independence, leading to a compelling exploration of sibling rivalry and self-discovery.
In a small, Virginia town, sixth-grader Jessie Lou Ferguson has a crush on the hugely popular Conrad Parker Smith, and when he suddenly develops a medical problem and the teacher asks Jessie Lou to help him, they become friends, to her surprise.