Indigo Girl

Author(s): Suzanne Kamata

Location(s): Japan

Genre(s): Young Adult

Era(s): Contemporary

Fifteen-year-old Aiko Cassidy, a bicultural girl with cerebral palsy, grew up in Michigan with her single mother. When a stepfather and a baby half sister enter her life, she finds herself on the margins. Having recently contacted her biological father, she is invited to spend the summer with his indigo-growing family in a small village. Aiko thinks she might fit in better in Japan. If nothing else, she figures the trip will provide inspiration for her manga story, Gadget Girl. Aiko’s stay is not the vacation that she expected. Her grandmother is openly hostile toward her, and she soon learns of painful family secrets that have been buried for years. Even so, she takes pleasure in meeting new friends. She is drawn to Taiga, the figure skater who shows her the power of persistence against self-doubt. Sora is a fellow manga enthusiast who introduces Aiko to like-minded artists. And then there is Kotaro, a refugee from the recent devastating earthquake.As she gets to know her father and the story of his break with her mother, Aiko rethinks the meaning of family.

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