Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Anywhere But Here is a moving, often comic portrait of wise child Ann August and her mother, Adele, a larger-than-life American dreamer. As they travel through the landscape of their often conflicting ambitions, Ann and Adele bring to life a novel that is a brilliant exploration of the perennial urge to keep moving, even at the risk of profound disorientation.

The story begins when eleven-year-old Ann August and her mother Adele abandon their home in Wisconsin, leaving behind the two people Ann loves most: her grandmother Lillian and her cousin Benny. Mother and daughter are on the road to California, where Adele hopes to launch a star career for Ann in Hollywood.

Their relationship has always been close, but volatile, and frivolous Adele is the cause of all Ann's worries: whether she's hoping to get rich, trying to attract a new husband, or spending too much money on clothes. As they drive across the parched American landscape in search of a better life, theirs is a journey of discovery—of new possibilities and of their respective dreams of each other.