Red may not know who her true family is, but she’s determined to find out where she belongs, in this story about magic, nature, family, love, and betrayal. There Flies the Witch will enchant fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Tae Keller, and Grace Lin.

Red doesn’t remember who she is or where she came from. In fact, her only memory is a terrifying, repeating dream of a threatening shadow and a foggy field. But after many years, she wonders if that’s just something she made up.

Red does know that she now belongs with Yakaka, the witch who rescued Red when she was a little girl. Full of power and magic, Yakaka travels the world, healing the planet when it calls for her help. Yakaka carries Red between the wings on her back during these journeys, teaching her the skills of witchcraft, storytelling, and healing—skills Red can never seem to master.

After a dangerous mission leads to Yakaka and Red’s falling from a great height and into the stormy ocean, Red wakes up alone on a seemingly deserted island. Days later, a young boy and his mother find Red and help her recover. For the first time, Red has a friend her own age to play with, and a chance to live a different kind of life. But what happened to Yakaka?

Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev explores themes of family, identity, belonging, and resilience in this truly extraordinary coming-of-age story for readers of Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Lauren Wolk’s Beyond the Bright Sea, and Laurel Snyder’s Orphan Island.

Separated from the only mother she’s ever known, Red’s search for answers has just begun. But what will she find on this strange new island?

Witches and Magic: Fly on the back of a witch who heals the earth with whispered stories, but watch as that same power falters when it matters most.
Found Family: Red has only ever known life with Yakaka. But on an island of strangers, she must discover if family is something you remember or something you build.
An Unlikely Friendship: A mysterious boy named Rubos offers help and a glimpse of a normal life. Can he be trusted when so many secrets swirl around the island?
Mystery of the Past: Haunted by a terrifying dream of a foggy field, Red’s quest to find Yakaka becomes a search for her own forgotten identity.