Call of the Cardinal

Revised Edition

Adelaide Audubon escapes into a rich fantasy landscape filled with characters inspired by the people around her. In the waking world, she and her quiet friend Henry deal with a bully at school. Her father, a wildlife rehabilitator, struggles with grief over Adelaide’s dead mother and guilt over deaths he couldn’t prevent in war-torn Europe three short years ago.

One snowy fall afternoon, Adelaide and Henry find an injured northern cardinal in the forest near her Kentucky home. Adelaide relies on her father’s guidance to help the bird heal.

As they work together, Adelaide becomes aware of the personal demons her father and friend battle. Her deepest desire is to bring healing to them both; in many ways they are as wounded as the little bird.

In Call of the Cardinal, Adelaide must have faith in the power of sacrifice in the service of others and apply her inner reflection toward a more mature understanding of those around her.