Cate Touryan’s storytelling is deeply rooted in coasts—from the Mediterranean coast of her birth to the Central California coast, where she lives near the beach that inspired her first award-winning novel. With a career in education and editing, she brings a lyrical, literary voice to her work.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys walking the seaside trails, reading old classics and discovering new ones, conjuring joy with loved ones, and looking for stars to put in her pocket. Both her fiction and creative nonfiction are marked by rich atmosphere, compassion for conflicted characters, and a faith that sees the invisible.
To read more of her work and receive a free e-book or audiobook of her prequel short story, “The Gulch Run Gangster,” please visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter, Cate’s Quarterly.
Head to Cate’s website for discussion questions for 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐸𝑑𝑒𝑛.
A 1971 California Coming-of-Age Mystery
Winner of the 2025 IAN Book of the Year Award (Cross-Genre Fiction)
Silver Medal, 2026 IPPY Awards (Best First Book–Juv/YA)
Gold Medal, 2026 Illumination Book Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2025 IAN Book of the Year Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2026 the Wishing Shelf Awards, Audiobook YA, Readers Choice, UK
Eden Lewis knows two things for certain. Family is complicated, and someone in her sleepy beach town wants revenge.
For most fourteen-year-olds, summers in early-1970s California mean sun and surf. Not for Eden. Her father has gone AWOL and turned her life upside down. Now she lives in a shabby seaside bungalow and cares for her severely disabled brother, Dex.
Caught in her parents’ own cold war, Eden escapes whenever she can. She goes pier fishing with Hollis, plays poker with old card sharks, and sings loudly in the church choir. Never mind that she’s not on speaking terms with God.
Then Raven arrives. The mysterious Soviet girl is rumored to be behind a string of petty crimes. When the mischief turns deadly and blood is spilled on the beach, suspicion falls on the “commie.” For Eden, the mystery offers an escape from her responsibilities—until accusing eyes turn toward her.
Desperate to clear her name, Eden begins a reckless chase for the truth. But the danger follows her home. To uncover what really happened, she may have to risk the life of the person she loves most.
Will she go all in, no matter the cost?
“This is storytelling at its most atmospheric—brimming with quirky, well-drawn characters, razor-sharp prose, and the kind of setting you can almost smell. The writing is lyrical, grounded, and often laugh-out-loud funny—even in the midst of deeply poignant moments. With a cast of endearing misfits and a tone reminiscent of Southern Gothic charm, this story lures you in from the very first line and doesn’t let go. Cate Touryan has a truly original voice, a rare gift for language, and a special ability to render a world so vivid you feel baptized in it.” — Zena Dell Lowe, Screenwriter, Story Coach, and Founder of The Storyteller’s Mission AMAZON