Rejecting the idea that she is destined to become a poet, eleven-year-old Emily Elizabeth Davis loses an important family secret hidden in a volume of Emily Dickinson's poems and forges unexpected connections while searching through used-book stores all across town.

"When her mom disappears from their small Texas town, Haven is determined to find her. But as she uncovers truths about her mom's identity, Haven also uncovers a monstrous family secret. Her mom can take the shape of a human and, in the right environment, also turn into an amphibious creature known as a kitskara. And now that she's growing up, Haven is discovering she has this ability, too. This newfound identity is her only clue to help her track...