The Luckiest Scar on Earth

"Readers are along for the ride as Charlotte gets to know the complex, surprising people surrounding her-and the true meaning of that lucky scar on her father's face. Think Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot meets Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl."
-SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

"The Luckiest Scar on Earth is a thoughtful novel that centers around the maturation of both a girl and her family, and which intimates that sometimes the most difficult periods can also be the most beautiful."
-FOREWORD REVIEWS

"This coming–of–age story will appeal to extreme sports enthusiasts, environmental activists, and fans of strong female characters."
-BOOKLIST

"It's delightful to see a female snowboarder as narrator, and readers…will find distinctive characters and an underrepresented subject."
-KIRKUS REVIEWS

"We're right there with Charlotte as she navigates avalanche–prone back–country, races in snowboarding competitions, and searches for endangered salmon. Packed with profound questions and gems of wisdom, this story will stay with me for a long time to come."
-LAURA RESAU, author of Red Glass and The Queen of Water

"Get obsessed; stay obsessed. I remembered these words, and Ana Maria Spagna's powerful father/daughter duo, long after I finished her captivating novel. Young snowboarders, environmental activists, and teens who champion the underdog will find themselves obsessed cover-to-cover with The Luckiest Scar on Earth."
-MELISSA HART, author of Avenging the Owl

"The Luckiest Scar on Earth is a gorgeous exploration of falling in love in unexpected ways-with a new place, with a new parent, and with a new ethic. This novel is a coming–of–age in the truest and fullest sense."
-LAURA PRITCHETT, author of Red Lightning

"Ana Maria Spagna takes the reader into a heart–stopping, snowboarding ride to vividly experience physical, emotional, and environmental scars."
-CARMEN BERNIER–GRAND, author of César: ¡Sí, se puede! Yes, We Can!

Fourteen-year-old Charlotte moves from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to Washington's Cascade Mountains, where she hopes to continue training for the national snowboarding championships. After her father signs an anti-development petition, she loses access to the local resort and takes to the backcountry, where she meets nature on its own terms. When adventure turns to tragedy, Charlotte learns that even our deepest scars can be lucky ones.

ANA MARIA SPAGNA lives and writes in Stehekin, Washington, a very small town in the North Cascades accessible only by foot, ferry, or float plane. She teaches creative writing in the MFA program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. Spagna writes for magazines about nature, work, and life in a small community, and is the author of several award–winning nonfiction books, including 100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (As We Know It), a humor–infused guide for how to live more lightly on the planet.