Returning to Shore (Fiction - Young Adult)

When her mother's third marriage takes place, fifteen-year-old Clare's summer plans collapse. She is sent to spend the season at an ancient cottage on a small marsh island off Cape Cod with her biological father, whom she has not seen since age three. Clare's father is quiet and focused on endangered turtles. A teenager she meets on Cape Cod mentions that her father has a reputation as the town's eccentric. However, the marsh and island possess an undeniable quality that connects to Clare's past in ways beyond simple memory. Her father's work with turtles also reveals unexpected elements. As her father gradually shares more about himself and his own difficulties, Clare's summer transforms from feeling like punishment into something more like a homecoming.