All Sofia wants for Christmas is a horse.
What she needs is warmth, belonging, and a family that can heal.
When her mother runs out of ways to keep their trailer warm, nine-year-old Sofia Ruiz is sent away to spend the holiday with a grandmother she barely knows. The silence between the adults in her life goes unexplained, and Sofia has learned not to ask questions she can't bear the answers to.
Sofia's unease turns to cautious wonder when she discovers a horse in her grandmother's old barn. Taking on daily chores and learning to keep going-even when things feel uncertain-gives Sofia something steady to hold onto.
But as Sofia starts to feel at home, old hurts resurface. The adults she loves are trapped in the past, and Sofia is caught in the middle-wanting peace, fearing loss, and discovering that some wishes come with impossible choices.
Sofia's Surprise is a tender middle-grade novel about loneliness, resilience, and the quiet courage it takes to hope for healing when forgiveness feels out of reach.
Winnie Award: Reserve Champion, Young Adult Fiction, 2021 Equus Film & Arts Festival
