The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

 

On Sunday, I finished reading The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla. This realistic fiction novel is about Maudie, a 13-year-old girl who is autistic. Although she lives with her mom and new stepdad, Ron, in Texas for most of the year, she is excited to be spending another summer with her dad, who lives in a cabin that he built himself in Molinas, California. As they're coming back from breakfast at Rosie's Diner, Maudie and her dad have to evacuate to an emergency shelter due to a wildfire. After speaking with her mom, Maudie's dad decides that they will go to Conwy, a small beach town in southern California where he grew up. The first morning, when she goes to the beach and watches a surfer, Etta, she decides that she wants to learn how to surf. She even gets the idea to enter the beginner's competition at the Surf Bash, which takes place at the end of the summer, to win a $1000 prize after reading a poster. While making new friends and learning to surf from Etta, a secret weighs heavily on her. She wants to tell her dad about Ron's harsh treatment of her, but her mom made her promise to never tell anyone. As the Surf Bash approaches, she must find the courage to reveal the truth before it's too late.

As I read this book, I thought it was wonderful. I loved rooting for Maudie and admired her courage to try surfing and even enter a competition despite the fact that it was something that she had never done before. Although she does face challenges because she is autistic, she has the determination to work through her issues. I absolutely adored her relationship with her dad and thought she would be happier if she lived with him as the story went on. His situation with losing his home and having to find work because of the wildfire isn't ideal, but it was clear how much he cared about Maudie and understood her needs. On the other hand, Maudie's mom was so disappointing. I know the reasons for why she would chose to stay with someone like Ron (security, wealth), but it broke my heart that she would pick him over her own daughter because he was truly awful when he would take his anger out on Maudie to the point of being abusive. Maudie deserved better than that, and by the end of the book, I was really hoping she wouldn't have to go back to Texas with her mom and Ron. I also enjoyed all the friendships Maudie made while in Conwy. Etta was a great surfing coach and it was nice that Maudie had so many people, like Max, Begonia, Naldo, and Dr. Shakti, looking out for her, while her dad worked. I like that she befriended Paddi, Dr. Shakti's daughter who goes to a school for kids with special needs, as well. Even though Paddi is a little younger than Maudie, both of the girls are neurodivergent (Paddie has ADHD), so they were able to find plenty of common ground. The climax of the story was incredibly intense, so the ending felt like a huge sigh of relief, but I was also very happy for Maudie at the same time. Although this book is mostly prose, there is verse scattered throughout. The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn is an outstanding example of how those with disabilities are vulnerable to becoming victims of abuse and anyone should read it.