Description

The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility. Its sparkling wit, breathless adventure, multicultural cast, and enchanting romance will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir and Leigh Bardugo. 

As the daughter of a time traveler, Nix has spent sixteen years sweeping across the globe and through the centuries aboard her father’s ship. Modern-day New York City, nineteenth-century Hawaii, other lands seen only in myth and legend—Nix has been to them all.

But when her father gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. Rae Carson meets Outlander in this epic debut fantasy.

If there is a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place and any time. But now that he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, the year before Nix’s mother died in childbirth—Nix’s life, her entire existence, is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years.


She’ll risk anything to stop him. He’ll risk everything to succeed. What happens when the only way to save yourself is to betray the person you love most?


  • YA Historical Fantasy: Journey from 18th-century Calcutta to 19th-century Hawaii and lands of myth, all aboard the time-traveling ship, The Temptation.
  • Found Family: Nix is part of a loyal crew, but when her father’s obsession puts them all in danger, she’ll have to decide where her loyalties truly lie.
  • Slow Burn Romance: For two years, the witty banter with Kash has been a spark of light. But with her future on the line, is there time for their connection to become something more?
  • High Stakes Adventure: A high-stakes race through time where the ultimate prize is existence itself. If Nix’s father saves her mother, Nix may never have been born at all.

About the author(s)

Heidi Heilig is the author of The Girl from Everywhere, which was an Indie Next Pick and was also named a Best Book of the Year by NPR; its sequel, The Ship Beyond Time; the Shadow Players trilogy: For a Muse of Fire, A Kingdom for a Stage, and On This Unworthy Scaffold. Her debut middle grade novel, Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker, was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book. Heidi Heilig holds an MFA from New York University in musical theater writing, and she’s written the book and lyrics for several shows. She grew up in Hawaii, where she rode horses and raised peacocks. Her favorite thing, outside of writing, is travel, and she has haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko‘olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in South Africa. Heidi Heilig lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Reviews

“A skillful mashup of science fiction and eclectic mythology, enlivened by vivid sensory detail and moments of emotional and philosophical depth. …A nonstop time-travel romp.” - Kirkus Reviews

“This thrilling swashbuckler-steeped in history, myth, and legend-finds a solid anchor in its colorful characters. …Fascinating, thought-provoking and wonderfully imagined, The Girl From Everywhere will spark the adventurer inside every reader.” - Shelf Awareness

“The world Heilig has built is a creative blend of actual history and fantasy elements grounded in ancient and modern myths. Her novel is simultaneously an adventure story, a love triangle, and a meditation on big topics like the idea of home and the tension between fate and free will.” - BookPage

“History and mythology fans will love this fast-moving ride through time, where mythological maps take Nix and the crew to real places with items and creatures true to the map’s design…This must-have fantasy adventure will appeal to fans of Rick Riordan’s ‘Kane Chronicles.’” - School Library Journal (starred review)

“Heilig presents a dizzying array of intermeshed events, dates, and maps. The plot is rooted in actual Hawaiian history, and redolent with realistic details and Hawaiian folklore. …The reader may ultimately be surprised at how smoothly the fantastical elements here mesh with the real.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“With time travel, fantasy, Hawaiian history, mythology, cute animals, and a feisty female protagonist, romance and fantasy readers will find much to enjoy.” - Booklist

“[A] time-travel adventure…Heilig’s writing is richly immersive, and a mature exploration of complicated love, both familial and romantic, underlies the story. A riveting and far-reaching fantasy that crosses seamlessly across the centuries, posing questions about fate, loyalty, and belonging.” - Publishers Weekly

“A truly exciting book, brimming with adventure, history, and sinuous potential. … “The Girl from Everywhere” is a bewilderingly good book. …Heidi Heilig is one to watch.” - Christian Science Monitor

“One of my absolute favourite reads of 2016, Heidi Heilig’s debut captured me completely from the first page. A lushly written time-traveling adventure with an imaginative magical twist, real heart and real heartbreak, and a major dash of swoon.” - Alwyn Hamilton, author of Rebel of the Sands

“This debut catapults delightfully from one map to the next, offering a fresh and captivating approach to time travel.” - NPR Books

More by Heidi Heilig

More Time Travel

More Science Fiction

More Young Adult Fiction

More 19th Century

More United States

More Historical

More Romance

More Fantasy

More Pirates

More Action & Adventure

More Historical

More Romance

More Coming of Age

More Girls & Women

More Historical

More Magical Realism