A six-star title.

* An NPR Best Book of the Year * A Horn Book Fanfare Selection * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

From Shelf Awareness: Newbery Honor author Lauren Wolk showcases her superbly lyrical writing in this novel featuring a 12-year-old artist who confronts grief and manages secrets on her new island home in Maine.

★ “Readers who enjoy meeting characters who feel like friends by story's end will revel in losing themselves on Candle Island .” –Booklist, starred review

★ A “cathartic and deeply felt story, a resounding celebration of unconditional love and personal expression.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This work glows ... exquisite writing." --Kirkus Reviews

Hardcover: 368 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 0525555568

Paperback: 368 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 0525555587

"Those Who Favor Fire, Lauren Wolk's first novel, is a beautifully developed metaphor for the end of the century, the end of the world, and the end of life as we know it. ... Wolk describes a dying world, and she does so with an elegiac courtesy and a poetic respect for her characters' hidden longings. It is a very promising debut....Those Who Favor Fire offers the promise of many more novels to come. The beauty of the language, the imaginative flair that Wolk brings to the novel's world, and the glimpses she reveals of the innermost heart of her characters, like the tiny plumes of smoke that reveal the fire--all signal deep reserves and a large and, dare I say, consuming talent." –The New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Wolk provides an unforgettable look at love—not only the kind between two people, but also the kind between community members and their town…. Wolk’s ability to spin fresh, original phrases will lure you into Belle Haven, and her motley crew of characters will keep you there. As the townsfolk face new challenges, heartbreaks and dangers, the author shows that the more the fire flourishes beneath Belle Haven, the more love flourishes up above. Likewise, this book is almost guaranteed to find a warm spot in the hearts of its readers.” –USA Today

“In artful hands, the most unlikely fictional places will spring to life. And not only spring, but stay so true that afterward one’s own world feels unnatural, like walking in shoes after a day on the ice. Belle Haven, the setting for Lauren Wolk’s remarkable first novel, Those Who Favor Fire, is such a place. ... [It] reveals itself is in some ways to be the archetypal American Pioneer story. The people of Belle Haven, like their earliest forbears, are survivors destined to reinvent themselves in a new place. Or, to recall an even earlier mythology--they literally rise up from the ashes. Those Who Favor Fire shepherds us along with them, toward the very brink where, alongside Joe and Rachel, we peer into the gaping maw, then turn back, changed.” –The Boston Globe

“Newcomer Lauren Wolk … has a precise eye for place and character, a keen ear for narrative and a Barbara Kingsolver-like instinct for situating a love story within a matrix of external, worldly and socio-political concerns…. : Those Who Favor Fire moves freely between weight and lightheartedness, so that even its more charged, significant moments exhibit Wolk’s pleasing, dexterous prose, while the book’s more playful interludes are touched by a measure of gravity or sadness. Partly, this fusion results from Wolk’s keenly invented place, and the hold that environment exerts on the people who live there.” –Newsday

Those Who Favor Fire "is a wonderfully quirky love story with a brisk, good-humored style that suggests no matter what happens in the short run, in the long run things will turn out all right....Through it all, Wolk has a fine knack for the development of character, the creation of a very real sense of place, the labyrinthine trust and betrayals of relationships. This is a fine first novel, beautifully and engagingly written, filled with surprise twists and a love of the human heart that recognizes both death and possibility. It honestly delights and keeps those dark, empty spaces clear in its vision, while in pursuit of the elusive substance of life itself."
–The Providence Journal

“First-time novelist Wolk has conceived an engrossing plot and peopled it with appealing characters. In this cautionary tale, folk elements and environmental caveats combine with a subtle yet unrelenting sense of horror to produce a fiction reminiscent of the best of Shirley Jackson.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Wolk has made a ravishing love story in this lyrical novel. Her descriptions of the minutiae of daily living…are beautiful without being precious; her shaping of the relationships…are true and sensuous. The tale is…a magical evocation of what can be done well with a lot of money or with no money at all. The fires scenes are horrific, the eroticism etched in honey and heat, all of the language supple and creamy. A fine read.” –Booklist, starred review

Named by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette one of the top ten novels of 1999: "A rural town slowly dying is not fiction, as Pennsylvanians know, but the image becomes an effective metaphor for Lauren Wolk, whose first novel, Those Who Favor Fire, is a moving story of second chances."

Named "Best Fiction of the Year" by the Providence Journal: "Fiction? Tons of goodies. But I think I'll pounce upon Lauren Wolk's first novel, Those Who Favor Fire (Random House), as a real winner."

One of top 40 "favorite reads" of 1999, PubLib, January 2000

“…Those Who Favor Fire is a convincing love story and a poignant evocation of the meaning of home.” –Boston Magazine

“A riveting first novel.” –Mademoiselle

“Fabulously rich.” –Redbook

 “Wolk writes clean, well-crafted prose, and she paints an appealing picture of life in a small, close-knit community.”
–Christian Science Monitor

“The strength of Those Who Favor Fire lies in the author’s evocative, skillful use of detail about this fictional town and its people.” –The San Diego Union-Tribune

 "Lauren Wolk’s first novel has a fascinating concept, well-drawn characters and an often-gripping storyline.” –The Chicago Tribune

* A New York Times Bestseller  * A 2017 Newbery Honor Book  * A 2017 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book * Winner of the 2016 New England Book Award  * Winner of the Catholic German Children and Youth Book Prize * An ALA Notable Children's Book * An NPR Best Book of the Year  * A Booklist Best Book of the Year * Short listed for the Waterstones Award and the Carnegie Award * An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of the Year * A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year   * A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year

Hardcover: 320 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 0525555595

Paperback: 320 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 0525555617

Twelve-year-old Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny, isolated piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. Abandoned and set adrift on a small boat when she was just hours old, Crow’s only companions are Osh, the man who rescued and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce and affectionate neighbor across the sandbar.

Crow has always been curious about the world around her, but it isn’t until the night a mysterious fire appears across the water that the unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart. Soon, an unstoppable chain of events is triggered, leading Crow down a path of discovery and danger.

Vivid and heart wrenching, Lauren Wolk’s Beyond the Bright Sea is a gorgeously crafted and tensely paced tale that explores questions of identity, belonging, and the true meaning of family.

* Winner of the 2018 Scott O'Dell Book Award for Historical Fiction * Winner of the 2018 Massachusetts Book Award * A Finalist for the 2018 Carnegie Award * A Finalist for the New England Book Award * An NPR Best Book of the Year * A Parents’ Magazine Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors' Choice selection * A BookPage Best Book of the Year • A Horn Book Fanfare Selection * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Charlotte Observer Best Book of the Year * A Southern Living Best Book of the Year * A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * An Amazon Best Book of the Year *  A Goodreads Best Book of the Year Finalist

Hardcover: ‎ 304 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 1101994856

Paperback: 320 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 1101994870

A moving portrait of loss and the restorative power of art from Lauren Wolk, the Newbery Honor-winning author of Beyond the Bright Sea.

Lucretia Sanderson has a secret.

Lucretia and her mother have come to tiny Candle Island, Maine (Population: Summer, 986; Winter, 315) to escape—escape memories of the car accident that killed her father and escape the journalists that hound her mother, a famous and reclusive artist. The rocky coast and ocean breeze are a welcome respite for Lucretia, who dedicates her summer days to painting, exploring the island, and caring for an orphaned osprey chick.

But Candle Island has secrets of its own—a hidden room in her new house, a mysterious boy with a beautiful voice—and just like the strong tides that surround the shores, they will catch Lucretia in their wake.

With an unforgettable New England setting and a complex web of relationships old and new, Candle Island is a powerful story about art, loss, and the power of being true to your own voice.

Hardcover: 304 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 1101994827

Paperback: 320 pages   ISBN-10: ‎ 1101994843

Pre-order from your favorite bookshop.

Hardcover: 352 pages   ISBN-978-0593698549

​After the financial crash, Ellie and her family have lost nearly everything—including their home in town. Forced to start over, Ellie has found a welcome freedom, and a love of the natural world, in her new life on Echo Mountain. But there is little joy, even for Ellie, as her family struggles with the aftermath of an accident that left her father in a coma. An accident for which Ellie has accepted the unearned weight of blame.
 
Determined to help her father, Ellie will make her way to the top of the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.” But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal and, with them, a fresh chance at happiness.
 
Critically acclaimed author Lauren Wolk weaves a stunning tale of resilience, persistence, and friendship across three generations of strong women, set against the rough and ragged beauty of the mountain they all call home..

Coming April 22, 2025

Wolk is also the author of the adult novel Those Who Favor Fire (Random House, 1999).

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

Brilliantly crafted, Wolf Hollow is a haunting tale of America at a crossroads and a time when one girl’s resilience, strength, and compassion help to illuminate the darkest corners of our history.

Click here to listen to an interview about Candle Island on WCAI's THE POINT with Mindy Todd.

★ “A powerful story to electrify the soul.” –Booklist, starred review

★ “With a memorable heroine, a finely honed voice, a distinctive setting, and deeply grounded relationships, this thought-provoking novel raises ethical issues about personal flaws and forgiveness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Wolk writes like a fever dream while raising questions about our capacities for forgiveness, just how we draw our conclusions about folk and whether proof requires evidence or whether instinct matches it. Deep, dark and indelible — you’ll read nothing else like it this summer.”
~The Times (London)

Bestselling author Lauren Wolk returns to the world of Wolf Hollow in this sequel to her beloved, Newbery Honor–winning debut.

In the aftermath of the tragic events set in motion by bully Betty Glengarry, the routine of daily life in Wolf Hollow has returned. But for Annabelle McBride, loss continues to cast a long shadow and it’s hard to make peace with what feels like threadbare justice. A powerful storm is about to leave change in its wake, setting Annabelle on a new path. A search for her brother’s dog, Buster, will bring them to unfamiliar doorsteps and also reunite Annabelle with a too familiar adversary—Andy Woodberry, who was complicit in Betty’s most terrible acts. But growing up and blazing her own trail will soon force Annabelle to reexamine deeply felt truths—about people, about justice—that had once seemed so uncomplicated.