This book was so good! It had such a twist in the plot, Mr. Ben and all of the other stuff surprised me. Babs, one of the main characters, is so sweet! But then she’s the spirit of the sea! That surprised me too!😱This book rocks, what a twist, I’d love a second wrong way home book!

This is a big-hearted middle-grade novel about Fern, a young girl who has grown up in a commune-like community in New York called the Ranch until her mother rejects the teachings of the leader and takes them away to California. All Fern wants to do is go back to the most stable home she's ever known, but there are things about the Ranch that she wasn't aware of. At the same time, Fern is learning more about the outside world, making friends, and learning to trust herself.

After living at a self-sustaining community, the Ranch, mom sneaks Frankie and herself off site. Mom says we’re not going back because I’m trying to protect you. When they arrive in California, Frankie finds mom has a job and a place to stay. Fern will do anything to go back to the ranch and Dr. Ben. After research Frankie hires an investigator to find where the Ranch is so she can get in touch. In the meantime, Frankie does some things she finds she likes and makes some new friends, but she still wants to go back to the Ranch. When Dr. Ben shows up when mom isn’t around, what does Frankie do?

Fern has spent half her life in the cozy all-natural community called the Ranch, and the leader, Dr Ben, is even talking about giving her special privileges. That all changes when Fern's mom starts rejecting Dr Ben's teachings and whisks them away to some random town on the opposite side of the country. Fern is desperate to go home, but since no one on the Ranch uses phones or computers, and Fern herself doesn't know how to use them, it takes quite a while to figure out how to even contact her erstwhile family. Meanwhile, the allure of the outside world is seeping in, forcing Fern to decide between two opposing lives, each of which is feeling like home.

Well, I can't say I've read a book like this one before, at least, not a children's book. As an adult, I empathize more with Mom than with Fern, but at the same time, I love seeing Fern grow and make up her mind for herself. The ending didn't really surprise me, but the way all the threads worked together made it satisfying nonetheless. Overall, a thoughtful and unique perspective and one that I hope will inspire compassion in young readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This title fits the book very well, and will lead to meaningful discussion. In fact, this would be a great book for a book club/literature circle as it would lead to rich discussion about home, family, truth, questioning, strength, and information literacy. The characters are interesting and their storyline keeps you turning the pages. Like Kate’s other works, this one has such beauty in its wording and I found myself highlighting passages and quotes that speak volumes about life. Readers will surely get a lot out of reading this one.

Frankie/ Fern has to make sense of what she’s been taught at Dr Ben’s Ranch, vs what she hears now out in the real world. Which way is right? Where is home? Poignant and thought-provoking.