Once in a Town Called Moth

Anneli and her father flee to Canada from a tiny community in Bolivia. Anneli becomes Ana and starts her new life, one without her mother. Lena went awol 10 years before, leaving Ana and Miloh to fend for themselves, leaving Miloh with a crime he needed to outrun.

Leaving Colony Felicidad was hard for Ana. Canada made her feel like an outcast. Toronto was not as pretty as everyone made it out to be. She didn't have a phone, computer, car, or friends. She couldn't even leave the house for the first few months. Life was hard in Toronto. Once enrolling in school, she realizes how much more there is to life outside of their small Mennonite community back home. She has opportunities here. She has friends. She has a mother to find. 

Lena ran when the going got tough for Miloh. She couldn't bear having to live in the community she no longer associated herself with. She needed a fresh start, even if that meant leaving her child behind. When Ani and Lena finally rekindle, it's tough for both of them to accept each others new lives. 

There's so much Ana doesn't know about her mother. Yet she finds things that she didn't know about her father as well. BUT I'm not sure Trilby Kent actually knew how to tie their story together. Towards the end, we find out what Miloh did. We find out why he and Ana needed to run. But what we don't ever find out is why Lena ran from them. We also never find out why Miloh was looking for Lena... This was by far one of the most annoying parts of this book. 

B U T keep in mind, I was sent an advanced reader's copy of Once in a Town Called Moth. I'm hoping that in the finalized version we have a few more answers than we have right now. 

Big shout out to Penguin Random House and Tundra Books for sending me this arc!

Mark your calendars, Once in a Town Called Moth hits shelves September 6th!