Sempra has lived all of her sixteen years in an enclosed dome called the
Circadia Stable Living Facility. It is structured, sustainable, and
windowless. After the sun grew in intensity, causing society to become
nocturnal, it was the only safe place to go. No one remembers the outside
world. For 150 years the government has warned them about the deadly
sun, and savage, vengeful outsiders. There is only one punishment for
any crime: to be exiled from the facility. But Sempra is curious. Beyond
those walls, what is there to see? When she and her childhood friend,
Alden, discover a forbidden book, she begins to question the facility, and,
with it, everything she has ever known.
2024 Francesca Varela
OUT OF PRINT
As of 2024, Call of the Sun Child is out of print.
Existing copies are still available from Amazon and
other used retailers. Thanks for a good run everyone!
Call of the Sun Child
Publisher: Homebound Publications/Owl House Books
Release Date: March 8, 2014
Paperback: 168 pages
ISBN: 978-1938846182
Jay Ponteri, author of Wedlocked
“If you like speculative fiction with fascist governments stomping out independent human thought, if you like books with
human hibernation, TEEN resistance, sleep without dreams, ‘stiff air,’ expulsions to the Outside, and ‘the best hair brushing
methods,’ if you like ‘shining circular portals,’ if you like Jack London’s Call of the Wild, if you can recall Jesus’s 40-day fast in
the Judaean desert, if you want to read about a young woman reaching for the Edge of the Universe, then Call of the Sun
Child is your book. The narrator, Sempra, is a courageous, soulful storyteller. Her long, strange journey towards freedom (of
thought, of shaping her own destiny) will surprise even the most seasoned of fiction readers. Francesca G. Varela’s sentences
shimmer. This is a beautiful first novel by a young writer to watch. I can’t wait to read Ms. Varela’s next book.”
Regina Sirois, author of On Little Wings
“Call of the Sun Child is written in a haunting and beautiful prose. Varela trusts her readers with
figurative and poetic language that paints an almost dream-like setting in post apocalyptic
America. Varela does more than write a story, she captures the vague and elusive emotions of
Sempra, a girl who must learn to dream of freedom before she can pursue it.”
Steve Davala, author of The Soulkind Awakening
“In Call of the Sun Child, Varela has created a living, breathing world, that which was formed
from her own passions. This tale of a lost girl, Sempra, and her transformation into adulthood is
poignant and real. The world she exists in is somewhat distant, but unfortunately not distant
enough. A cautionary tale, a coming of age tale… it all asks us the important questions: ‘Who
are you and why do you believe what you do?’”
REVIEWS FOR CALL OF THE SUN CHILD
Learn more about Francesca
and her copy editing services!
Other books by Francesca Varela:
o
Bronze Medal for Best First Book at the 2014
Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards
o
Finalist in the young-adult category at the 2015
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
AWARDS
MEDIA FEATURES
Francesca G.
Varela
Call of the
Sun Child
REVIEWS:
Publisher: Homebound Publications
Release Date: March 8, 2014
Paperback: 168 pages
ISBN: 978-1938846182
OUT OF PRINT
As of 2024, Call of the Sun Child is
out of print. Existing copies are still
available from Amazon and other used
retailers. Thanks for a good run everyone!
Steve Davala, author of
The Soulkind Awakening
“In Call of the Sun Child, Varela has
created a living, breathing world, that
which was formed from her own
passions. This tale of a lost girl,
Sempra, and her transformation into
adulthood is poignant and real. The
world she exists in is somewhat distant,
but unfortunately not distant enough. A
cautionary tale, a coming of age tale…
it all asks us the important questions:
‘Who are you and why do you believe
what you do?’”
“Call of the Sun Child is written in a
haunting and beautiful prose. Varela
trusts her readers with figurative and
poetic language that paints an almost
dream-like setting in post apocalyptic
America. Varela does more than write a
story, she captures the vague and
elusive emotions of Sempra, a girl who
must learn to dream of freedom before
she can pursue it.”
Regina Sirois, author of
On Little Wings
“If you like speculative fiction with
fascist governments stomping out
independent human thought, if you
like books with human hibernation,
TEEN resistance, sleep without
dreams, ‘stiff air,’ expulsions to the
Outside, and ‘the best hair brushing
methods,’ if you like ‘shining circular
portals,’ if you like Jack London’s Call
of the Wild, if you can recall Jesus’s
40-day fast in the Judaean desert, if
you want to read about a young
woman reaching for the Edge of the
Universe, then Call of the Sun Child is
your book. The narrator, Sempra, is a
courageous, soulful storyteller. Her
long, strange journey towards
freedom (of thought, of shaping her
own destiny) will surprise even the
most seasoned of fiction readers.
Francesca G. Varela’s sentences
shimmer. This is a beautiful first novel
by a young writer to watch. I can’t
wait to read Ms. Varela’s next book.”
Jay Ponteri, author of
Wedlocked
(OUT OF PRINT)
FINALIST
Young-Adult
2015
BRONZE
MEDALIST
Best First Book
2014
Sempra has lived all of her
sixteen years in an enclosed
dome called the Circadia
Stable Living Facility. It is
structured, sustainable, and
windowless. After the sun
grew in intensity, causing
society to become nocturnal,
it was the only safe place to
go. No one remembers the
outside world. For 150 years
the government has warned
them about the deadly sun,
and savage, vengeful
outsiders. There is only one
punishment for any crime:
to be exiled from the facility.
But Sempra is curious.
Beyond those walls, what is
there to see? When she and
her childhood friend, Alden,
discover a forbidden book,
she begins to question the
facility, and, with it,
everything she has ever
known.
Other books by
Francesca Varela:
MEDIA FEATURES:
www.francescavarela.com
Francesca G. Varela
