True Moxie: A Pacific Northwest Historical Fiction Series (Island Echoes, 2 books)

“A page-turner with heart and compelling characters!” – Amazon review

2025 Finalist - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Summer 1991. Sixteen-year-old Maia lives a peaceful life with her loving parents, surrounded by the stunning rural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. But when Maia’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, their family is plunged into turmoil—a period Maia dubs The Summer of Hell.

Twelve months later, Maia and her father still don’t speak of the year’s tragedies. Just weeks before Maia’s high school graduation, they struggle through their days side-by-side in near silence. Things look up when Maia’s father gets back to work. But when she joins the first guiding trip of the season, disaster strikes again. Maia must learn to believe in her own strength before nature destroys all hope of saving her injured father and her newfound friend, Jack.

True Moxie is at once an exquisite ode to British Columbia’s old-growth forests, a compelling coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of family secrets. This fast-paced, riveting, and ultimately uplifting adventure reminds us how, even when life takes us on a detour, stubbornness and love take us where we belong.

True Moxie is a work of fiction, but deals with many real issues including bullying, injury, and death. For more content warnings, please go to Sylvia's website. But beware of spoilers!