Tut thought about Alex's question, "Can't speak, or won't?" He didn't know the answer. All he knew was that when he tried to speak, he got scared. Not just a little frightened, but more like horrified, the same feeling he got when he stayed in a boat too long.

A moving story of friendship, loss, and survival

Tut and Alex make an odd pair. Tut does more than keep his grief over his mother's death to himself-he keeps everything, even his voice, to himself. Alex, on the other hand, is talkative, outgoing, and in-your-face, which is exactly where Tut doesn't want her. Tut hasn't much choice in the matter because Alex isn't going anywhere. But just when Alex has wiggled her way into Tut's life, suddenly she seems to have her own need for escape. Now Alex is in trouble and the only way for Tut to helpher is to get back into a boat. Is he willing to risk everything for his only friend? That's what he's desperately trying to figure out. And what if it's just too late?

J. D. McNeill weaves a compelling story of loss and survival, peopled with one-of-a-kind characters, in this auspicious debut.

J.D. McNeill's profile page

J. D. McNeill woke up one morning with the words "The Last Codfish" on her mind and knew that she had a story to tell. She lives in an eight-room farmhouse in Roxbury, New Hampshire, with her family and their Newfoundland mix named Sam. This is her first novel.

"I love The Last Codfish. J. D. McNeill knows about survival and redemption, and she knows how to make readers hungry. Devour this book."--Jessie Haas, author ofShaper (Golden Kite Honor Award)