Battered, bruised, but alive, Helicity Dunlap rides out a hurricane in the Bolivar Peninsula Lighthouse in Texas. She somehow manages to keep herself safe, and to even rescue a lost dog in the process.
After a day in the hospital, she, her mom, and Sam make the two-day drive back to Western Michigan. They leave Andy and their dad behind, as Andy is finally going to get the help he needs in an addiction rehabilitation facility. Much to her dismay, Helicity ends up in the spotlight—first in a good way after surviving the hurricane and rescuing the dog—but then social media turns on her, and she finds herself in the eye of a completely different kind of storm.
Back at school, Helicity struggles to maintain her focus—long rides on her horse, Raven, help, as do a few weekend trips with her mom. She decides to accept an offer to be interviewed about her experience in Texas by a reporter who followed her story. They meet up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the annual International Hot Air Balloon Festival, a spectacle that must be seen to be believed. The excitement builds as Helicity delights in her first ride in a lighter-than-air balloon when disaster strikes. A severe dust storm—a haboob—typical of the area, erupts while Helicity is aloft. How will the pilot navigate this threatening and potentially deadly storm?
When Helicity Dunlap flies to Texas to spend time with her best friend Mia, she hopes to leave the tragedies of the devastating tornado and flash flood back in Michigan-at least for a little while. Her responsibilities at Mia's Aunt Suze's beachfront bed and breakfast are pretty simple and leave her lots of time to enjoy hunting for sea glass, sunbathing, and exploring a summer romance.
But Helicity comes by her name honestly-helicity means to spin-and her troubles from home follow her south. Her concerns about her older brother Andy intensify-even though he shows up to surprise her in Texas.
And if there's one place in the world that has weather to rival Michigan's, it's Texas. She and her friends go out for a day sail and get caught up in a derecho-a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms that once again turn her boat-and life-upside down. She'll have to face her fears and muster all her strength and knowledge to fight her way out of the nightmare.
Helicity is well aware her name is unusual-kind of like Helicity herself. The word Helicity means to spin, and for as long as she can remember, Helicity has been fascinated by the weather. The weather is Helicity's escape from her own reality-be it school, her father's strict discipline, or her brother's imminent departure for college, where he's all set to play football.One fateful day, Helicity and her horse head out on a long ride to take a break from life at home. Even with her vast weather experience, Helicity is unprepared for the elements she faces. The choices Helicity makes before, during, and after that storm will have a lasting effect on her family and her future.
