The Girl Who Never Was

by Wendy Griffin

Scout wishes she could stay resting under the stars in a pasture forever, away from the world, away from her abusive home. She’s been living in the barn at Hickory Oaks Farms ever since she ran away and loves nothing more than spending time with the horses and her dog Jim. Possessing a sixth sense, she believes in spirits and is comfortable living with the animals. But when she witnesses the murder of a young boy from school on the farm, she is sent to live with a family on Edisto Island for her protection. Set along the coastline of South Carolina, the island is a sleepy, idyllic oasis where moss-covered oaks, dirt roads, and salt marshes abound and where the natural beauty is a reprieve from the harsh realities of life. Can this new environment help her to break free from the pain of the past? When the investigation uncovers a link between the boy’s murder and a string of horse thefts, it is clear Scout’s life is in danger. Can she use her gift to piece together what really happened? The Girl Who Never Was is the tender and suspenseful story of a young girl’s determination to turn something bad into something good, to look for the rainbow after the storm.

214 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2022

Reviews

[KELLY A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fairly quick read about a girl named Scout, a mystery, and Edisto Island. The author's love of Edisto comes through in the writing, and I hope in future books that rich, beautiful land will be featured even more. If you've been to the Island, I imagine that you'll get more out of this book. I love Edisto, so I envisioned the pictures the author draws for readers.

[Stephanie Karp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this 3.5 stars out of 5. This book has good promise but needs editing - there are many grammar mistakes and the writing can feel off at times, like ideas had been put down as they came but not fleshed out to flow well. I picked this book up when I was visiting Edisto and saw the horse and dog on the cover. I enjoyed the story but the errors and lack of editing took me out of the story.