Wild Song

by Candy Gourlay

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Pub Date Oct 07 2025 | Archive Date Sep 30 2025

Lerner Publishing Group | Carolrhoda Lab ®

Historical Fiction | Multicultural Interest | Teens & YA

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Description

The Philippines, 1904

Sixteen-year-old Luki is the best hunter in her village, but she has to keep it a secret. Hunting is a man’s skill. She’s expected to marry and raise a family instead.

Chafing against these restrictions, she impulsively accepts an offer from the local American authorities: they’re looking for volunteers to travel to the United States for the World’s Fair, where Indigenous peoples from around the world will be represented.

Luki and others make the long journey to Saint Louis, Missouri, for the fair, where they're "exhibited" in a replica village. But even as Luki makes friends and discovers a wider world that intrigues her, she learns dangerous secrets and difficult truths. Facing pressures from all sides, she must decide what kind of future she wants after the fair.

The Philippines, 1904

Sixteen-year-old Luki is the best hunter in her village, but she has to keep it a secret. Hunting is a man’s skill. She’s expected to marry and raise a family instead.

Chafing...

Advance Praise

"The narrative examines the exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the commodification of culture, expertly framed by the moving story of a young woman longing to pave her own path in life. . . A powerful coming-of-age story exploring identity and exploitation during a little-known historical moment."—Kirkus Reviews

"This is an involving story about a tough subject not previously explored in fiction for young people and, while some of the events are distressing, Luki's optimism and agency shine through in a compelling narrative voice."—Historical Novel Society

"The narrative examines the exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the commodification of culture, expertly framed by the moving story of a young woman longing to pave her own path in life. . . A...