Wildflower

Whitaker, Alecia. Wildflower. 2014. 320p. ISBN 978-0316251389.

The Barrett family lost Caleb, their youngest, to a drowning. They began playing music to assuage their grief, and for many years now they have been on the road, playing country music around the country. Bird at 16 is the youngest, and she plays fiddle and backup vocals. When her father, their lead singer, falls sick one evening, Bird takes over for him. Her talent is recognized by a scout, and Bird is offered a contract. However, the contract is for a solo artist, not for a family band.

Complicating things are Bird’s relationship with Adam, her brothers’ friend, who also happens to be in a country artist on the same circuit as she is. She would like the relationship to progress, but recording an album and promoting it inevitably creates more problems than it resolves. And her relationship with her brothers Jacob and Dylan is also changing as the family band disintegrates.

Told in the first person from Bird’s perspective, Whitaker fully fleshes out her characters, and Bird’s rise to music stardom is well chronicled, providing an insider’s view of the music industry and some of the challenges musicians face trying to break in. Bird’s friendships and relationship with Adam and her family are respectful and wholesome, making this an appropriate read even for middle schoolers. The first in a series, Wildflower includes lyrics and sheet music for Bird’s hit.