The Indigo Notebook

Zeeta's life with her free-spirited mother, Layla, is anything but normal. Every year Layla picks another country she wants to live in. This summer they’re in Ecuador, and Zeeta is determined to convince her mother to settle down. Zeeta makes friends with vendors at the town market and begs them to think of upstanding, “normal” men to set up with Layla. There, Zeeta meets Wendell. She learns that he was born nearby, but adopted by an American family. His one wish is to find his birth parents, and Zeeta agrees to help him. But when Wendell’s biological father turns out to be involved in something very dangerous, Zeeta wonders whether she’ll ever get the chance to tell her mom how she really feels—or to enjoy her deepening feelings for Wendell.

Praise for Red Glass:
*“A captivating read.”—School Library Journal, Starred

An exciting new series from the acclaimed author of Red Glass.

Zeeta's life with her free-spirited mother, Layla, is anything but normal. Every year Layla picks another country she wants to live in. This summer they’re in Ecuador, and Zeeta is determined to convince her mother to settle down. Zeeta makes friends with vendors at the town market and begs them to think of upstanding, “normal” men to set up with Layla. There, Zeeta meets Wendell. She learns that he was born nearby, but adopted by an American family. His one wish is to find his birth parents, and Zeeta agrees to help him. But when Wendell’s biological father turns out to be involved in something very dangerous, Zeeta wonders whether she’ll ever get the chance to tell her mom how she really feels—or to enjoy her deepening feelings for Wendell.

Praise for Red Glass:
*“A captivating read.”—School Library Journal, Starred

Children's Literature

Told from Zeeta's point of view, the reader learns that she is fifteen years old and biracial with no knowledge of her father. She is tired of her vagabond life with Layla, her free spirited mother who teaches English in a different country each year. Zeeta keeps journals of their escapades and is clutching her new indigo notebook as their flight from Thailand is approaching Ecuador. Two passengers, both from the United States, have attracted her attention—Jeff, the respectable businessman flirting with her mother, and Wendell, a teenager who looks Ecuadorian, but does not speak Spanish. Zeeta soon learns that Wendell has come to Ecuador to find his biological parents, having been adopted from there at birth. She agrees to serve as his translator and help him in his quest. As the story progresses, Layla's developing relationship with Jeff could result in the fulfillment of Zeeta's desire to be part of a "normal" family living in a suburban home in the U.S. The story is filled with adventure and romance as both Zeeta and Wendell gradually come to terms with what is really important in their lives, reminding the reader of the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for . . .." Resau's love of Ecuador and its people shines through in her vivid descriptions of the markets, the countryside, the living accommodations, and in her memorable characters. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.

Laura Resau lived in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, Mexico, for two years as an English teacher and anthropologist. She now lives with her husband and her dog in Colorado.