One December evening, when 13-year-old Marta crosses the frozen Lake Superior and reaches the home she shares with her father, she finds a woman standing at their door. As Marta approaches, she realizes the woman, who looks like a tropical bird caught in the snow, is her mother who’d abruptly left them six years before. Marta hopes this is a turning point, that her mother will stay this time—despite hating this town, this island, and their creaky, towering Victorian house. But not everyone in town is thrilled with her mother’s arrival, least of all her dad.
Almost as soon as she arrives, however, Marta’s mother abruptly vanishes again, nowhere to be found, leaving Marta with more questions than answers. Her father denies her mother was ever there and Marta is left with the mystery of her mother’s homecoming. She begins to wonder if he is lying, or if there is a deeper secret being kept from her by the entire tight-knit community. As Marta delves into her mother's sudden reappearance and subsequent disappearance, she seeks answers, visiting places that were significant to her mother and questioning people she knew. Desperate for answers that will shed light on the mystery, this quest leads her to uncover a web of secrets that threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew about her family and herself.
Gichigami is an eerie coming-of-age novel, weaving between Marta and the person desperately trying to keep Marta and her mother apart. This poignant exploration of the lives of women and girls of the Midwest shines a light on the struggles of absent mothers, runaway daughters, and those who yearn for more than life has offered them. With rich prose and vivid imagery, Lindsey Steffes spins a tale of loss, longing, and betrayal set against the backdrop of the harsh yet beautiful landscape of Lake Superior.
‘Gichigami is one of the most interesting novels I have read. In part, this is because of the masterful depiction of a landscape that is both fascinating and underrepresented in American literature. Steffes captures the mystery and beauty of the area with rare artistry. She also writes a compelling story—the plot is suspenseful, but more than that, the characters, with their idiosyncrasies and their faults, bring the plot alive.’—Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and author of A Thousand Acres and Lucky
'Gichigami is a great American debut novel, giving readers a place they may never have seen, a perfectly-evoked small town on the edge of Lake Superior, and characters they will follow anywhere, especially the women of this book—watchful, wistful, hardcore and hilarious, no matter what generation. For the young narrator, the shimmering waters of summer, the sparkling danger of winter snow and ice, and the search for a missing mother lead her into the deepest places of loyalty and betrayal. An amazing debut!'—Susan Straight, bestselling author of Mecca, In the Country of Women, and Highwire Moon
‘Gighigami by Lindsey Steffes is an absolutely beautiful novel about longing and grief, and also about the healing powers of love and human connection. Every character is complex and skillfully drawn, but it’s the main character, Marty, a thirteen-year-old girl who is too smart by half, who will steal your heart. This is an engaging, moving, and memorable novel, and Steffes is a stunning new talent.’—Kelly Dwyer, author of Ghost Mother
‘The community of Gichagami comes to life in this big-hearted page-turner that might be a mystery or might just explore the mysteries of love and grief and community. Compelling, fully rendered, and never dull, Gichagami is a memorable, moving novel.’—Sabina Murray, author ofValiant Gentlemen, a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book
