A tangle of knots / Lisa Graff.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

National Book Award nominee!

The magic of Savvy meets the complexity of When You Reach Me in this "blithe magical puzzle." -- The Wall Street Journal

Told in multiple viewpoints, A Tangle of Knots is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born. And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever. However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan. If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent.

Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.

Praise for A TANGLE OF KNOTS

"Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in." --Abby West, Entertainment Weekly [ A-]

* "Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review

* "Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come." -- Booklist , starred review

"Graff's story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law's Savvy." -- Publishers Weekly

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Chapter 1: Cady Miss Mallory's Home for Lost Girls in Poughkeepsie, New York, was technically an orphanage, but there were hardly ever any orphans there. In fact, most days, if you peeked inside the window, you would see only one orphan, all by herself but hardly lonely, standing on her tiptoes at the kitchen counter, baking a cake. Cadence, that was her name. She was standing there now, Cady, deciding what to add to her bowl of batter. If you squinted through the window, you could just make her out from the chin up (Cady was barely a wisp of a thing). You'd see the shiny, crow-black hair that hung smooth as paper from the top of her head to the bottoms of her earlobes. And you'd see the petite--pixieish, Miss Mallory called them--features of her face. Tiny nose, tiny mouth, tiny ears. Cady's eyes, however, those were large in comparison to the rest of her. Large and dark and round, and set just so on a face the color of a leaf that has clung too long to its tree. Flour, sugar, butter, eggs. Cady studied the bowl in front of her. She closed her eyes, digging into the furthest reaches of her brain to figure out what would be the perfect addition to her cake. At last her thick black lashes fluttered open. She had it. Cinnamon. She would make a cinnamon cake. No one knew exactly when Cady's Talent for baking had first emerged--just as no one knew exactly where she had come from. But one thing was certain: Cady was a Talented baker. She could bake anything, really. Pies. Muffins. Bread. Casseroles. Even the perfect pizza if she put her mind to it. But what Cady loved above all else was baking cakes. All she needed to do was to close her eyes, and she could imagine the absolutely perfect cake for any person, anywhere. A pinch more salt, a touch less cream. It was one hundred percent certain that the person she was baking for would never have tasted anything quite so heavenly in all his life. In fact, what the orphanage lacked in orphans it made up for in cake-baking trophies. Five first-place trophies from the Sunshine Bakers of America Annual Cake Bakeoff lined the front hall, one for every year that Cady had entered from the age of five, when her oven mitts swallowed her up to?the elbows. No matter who entered the competition--­professional bakers, famous chefs with exclusive restaurants--none of their Talents were able to match Cady's, not for five years running. Cady's cakes were never the most beautiful, or the most stunning. Last year not one but two bakers had crafted fifty-layer-high masterpieces of sugary wonder, studded with frosted stars and flowers and figurines. One even included a working chocolate fountain. Cady's single-layer pistachio sheet cake had looked pitiful in comparison. But nonetheless, it had been the judge's favorite, because Cady had baked it specifically for him. This year's bakeoff would be held in just one short week in New York City, a two-hour drive away. Miss Mallory had already cleared space in the hallway for a sixth trophy. The kitchen door squeaked open and in waltzed Miss Mallory,­ a polka-dot tablecloth folded in her arms. (Miss Mallory's­ perfect cake, as far as Cady was concerned, was just as scrumptious as she was--a nutty peach cake with cream cheese frosting.) "What did you come up with?" Miss Mallory asked, crossing the room to peer into the cake bowl. Cady found the cinnamon in the cabinet above her and popped off the lid. "Cinnamon," she replied, shaking the spice into the bowl. Cady had no need for measurements. "A cinnamon cake, three layers high." Miss Mallory took a deep breath of pleasure. "And the frosting?" Cady did not even need a moment to think. She knew the answer, sensed it the way other people could sense which way to walk home after a stroll in the woods. "Chocolate buttercream with a hint of spice," she replied. "Perfect," Miss Mallory said. "Amy will love it." She snuck a finger out from under her tablecloth to poke a tiny glob from the bowl. "I hope this fog finally gives up," she said, sighing as the taste of the batter hit her tongue. Cady had been so intent on her baking that she hadn't even noticed the haze. She peered out the window. Out on the lawn, the thick mist obscured all but the legs of the picnic table, and puddles speckled the steps to the porch. It had been foggy the morning Cady was brought to Miss Mallory's, too. Cady had been much too young to remember it, but she'd heard the story so many times that the details were as real and comfortable as a pair of well-worn shoes. The damp smell of the dew outside. The mystery novel Miss Mallory had been reading when she heard the knock at the door. And most especially, Miss Mallory's surprise at the arrival. "I'd never seen a baby so small," Miss Mallory always told her. "And with such a remarkable head of hair. There was a braid woven into it." Here Miss Mallory would trace the plaits across Cady's scalp, making Cady's skin tingle delightfully. "It was the most intricate braid I've ever seen, twisted in and about and around itself like a crown. Whoever gave you that braid was Talented indeed." Miss Mallory snuck one more fingerful of batter from the bowl. "Perhaps we should move the party inside today," she suggested. "But Adoption Day parties are always outside," Cady protested, slapping Miss Mallory's hand away playfully. There wasn't much consistency in the life of an orphan--new housemates coming and going like waves on a shore--but Adoption Day parties were always the same. Adoption Day parties took place outside, with presents and card games (it was difficult to play other sorts of games with so few people about) and a cake baked by Cady for the lucky little girl whose Adoption Day it was. People sometimes suspected, when they learned how few orphans lived at Miss Mallory's Home for Lost Girls, that it must be a sorry excuse for an orphanage. But the truth was quite the opposite. The truth was that most of the orphans at Miss Mallory's found their perfect families astonishingly quickly. Miss Mallory had a Talent for matching orphans to families--she felt a tug, deep in her chest, she said, when she sensed that two people truly belonged together, and she just knew. Most of the little girls who came through the orphanage doors were matched within days of arriving, sometimes hours. Miss Mallory had famously matched one girl only seven minutes after she stepped off her train. They would send photos, those lucky little girls who had found their perfect families, and Miss Mallory would frame them and hang them in the front hallway, just above Cady's row of trophies. Smiling kids, beaming parents. Cady had studied them carefully. Cady was the only orphan at Miss Mallory's who had ever stayed for an extended period of time. Oh, Miss Mallory had tried to match her. Over the years Cady had been sent to live?with no fewer than six families--loving, happy, wonderful families--but unlike with the other orphans, it had never quite worked out. Cady had always done her best to be the perfect daughter. She yes, ma'amed and no, sired and ate all her vegetables and went to bed on time. But no fewer than six times, Miss Mallory had come to return Cady to the orphanage long before her one-week trial period was over. "I made a mistake," Miss Mallory always told her. "That wasn't your perfect family." But Cady knew that Miss Mallory didn't make mistakes. Somehow, for some reason that Cady couldn't explain, the fault lay with her. And Cady vowed that if she ever got another chance, with another family, she would do whatever it took to make it work. One day she would have an Adoption Day party of her own. One day she would bake the perfect cake for herself. "Maybe," Cady said slowly, glancing outside at the beautifully foggy morning, "maybe today's the day I'll meet my family." The very idea warmed her through just as much as the heat from the oven. She tugged an oven mitt onto each hand and opened the oven door, then set the cake pans on the center rack. "Maybe," she said again, "my real and true family will step right out of the fog." Excerpted from A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

America's got Talents in this cozy novel from Graff (Double Dog Dare), set in a contemporary world in which certain people have specialized abilities, from levitation to spitting perfectly. Eleven-year-old orphan Cady has a Talent for baking-not only does Cady create the most delicious cakes around, she innately knows what someone's "perfect" cake is. When she gets adopted, her Talent helps unravel the mysteries of her past, but it also puts her in danger of losing her ability. Set mostly in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Graff's story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law's Savvy. The author flips neatly between the perspectives of multiple characters, and the intricate connections between the narratives come together in a pleasing way as secrets are revealed. Readers who share Cady's love of baking will appreciate the inclusion of several cake recipes, like Marigold's lime pound cake and Mrs. Asher's honey cake, which are mentioned throughout the story and tied to key characters. Ages 8-up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-7-Graff has created a world very much like our own, but just a little bit magical. In this version of Poughkeepsie, New York, many lucky people have Talent, one skill that makes them special. Cady, an orphan who lives with kindly Miss Mallory, can look at a person and immediately know what they like and bake their ideal cake. Miss Mallory's talent is finding just-right parents for orphans, but so far, she hasn't felt that perfect-parent pull for Cady. While the 11-year-old is the star of this tale, the novel integrates an expertly developed cast of supporting characters who all have their own amazing stories. Not until the very end do readers see how their paths intertwine. The plot twists deliciously around an irresistible peanut butter factory, an evil Talent thief, a very important hair pin, and a rare powder-blue suitcase that could hold the key to everything. Sprinkled throughout is a generous helping of cake recipes, perfectly suited to each of the characters, just begging to be tried. Recommend this one to fans of Sheila O'Connor, who will appreciate the charming and unusual setting, and Wendy Mass, for those who like a little dose of fantasy thrown in with their realism.-Mandy Laferriere, Staley Middle School, Frisco, TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Although she is the last orphan who has not yet been placed in an adoptive home by her orphanage's matron, 11-year-old Cady is cheerful, and she possesses a talent that cheers others: she can bake just the perfect cake to suit the disposition of anyone for whom she cares. Graff, whose middle-grade titles include The Thing about Georgie (2007), blends this delicious premise craftily into another story featuring a suitcase lost many years earlier and the gruff old man who seeks to reclaim it. The knot tying these two strands becomes even more elaborate with the introduction of a family of five, including a 6-year-old and his pet ferret. With grace and charm, as well as recipes for Cady's various cakes, Graff develops a clever series of plot twists and eccentric, fully formed individuals, each of whom has his or her own secrets, worries, and points of intersection with the knotty problems arising for the other characters. Complex without ever being confusing, witty, and sprinkled with gently scary bits, Cady's story is as satisfying as her cakes. Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Young Mason Burgess, clutching a suitcase, boards a bus for Philadelphia. Told to check it, he grudgingly does. But during the journey his suitcase mysteriously disappears. Fast-forward fifty-three years. Mason, now down on his luck, rents rooms to a number of seemingly disparate characters. They live in a world much like our own, but one populated by those who have Talents (including precision spitting, knot-tying, and knitting) and those, known as Fair, who do not. This jumble of information comes quickly in the beginning chapters; a single cliffhanger creates context: "In just one short week, every last one of them would have lost the thing they treasured most in the world." With so many individuals (from an orphan who can bake the perfect cake to a mystery writer who has lost her ability to use words) and situations, it is plot, rather than character, that drives the novel. Mason's half-a-century quest for his suitcase never develops as an arc and becomes an awkward, ancillary distraction. Instead, Cady, the cake baker (nine recipes included), gives the novel its heart. Her search for a family uncovers a multilayered backstory, with events from each character's life connecting to her own. Graff's first foray into fantasy resembles a jigsaw puzzle without a box-cover illustration; one must put all the pieces in place before the big picture is revealed. betty carter (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

A mysterious man in a gray suit, an assortment of vintage, powder blue suitcases and a beguiling orphan girl with an amazing talent for baking cakes are among the tasty ingredients in Graff's delicious new novel. Multiple, varied characters intersect to reveal long-held secrets and imaginative connections. Cady is the only orphan remaining at Miss Mallory's Home for Lost Girls in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where people are either Fair or Talented. Those who are Fair, like Cady's friend, Marigold, envy those like Cady with a special gift. Cady's is for baking: She can look at any person and immediately know the flavor of their favorite cake. Cady makes the most beautiful cakes, guaranteed to win the hearts of their recipients--and baking-contest judges. Marigold, meanwhile, has no special Talent, and the mysterious, nefarious Owner has more than his fair share. Graff weaves a miraculous tale of whimsy with the same attention to detail as a master chef. Carefully blending past mistakes and regrets with future wishes and dreams, she shows us the power of loving ourselves and the pain of living in the past. The narrative shifts from character to character, always in the third person, revealing bits and pieces of the story; occasional cake recipes are sprinkled throughout. Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights. (Fantasy. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Lisa Graff (lisagraff.com) is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Far Away , The Great Treehouse War , A Clatter of Jars, Lost in the Sun , Absolutely Almost , A Tangle of Knots , Double Dog Dare , Sophie Simon Solves Them All , Umbrella Summer , The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower , and The Thing About Georgie. Lisa Graff's books have been named to more than seventy state award lists and have been touted as best books of the year by booksellers, teachers, and librarians. A Tangle of Knots was long-listed for the National Book Award in 2013. Lisa Graff lives with her family just outside of Philadelphia. Follow her on Twitter @LisaGraff.