After her mother dies suddenly, twelve-and-a-half year old

Penelope Grace Sinclair (Piper) must go live aboard a

steamboat captained by her father. Before she saw her

father only twice a month when he was off-duty. Now, she

must see him every day.

As Piper learns how to adjust to her father and grieve for her mother,

she also learns about life and work on a steamboat just before the

Great Depression.

To keep her company, Piper keeps a diary which she names

Dorie. Magically, Dorie comes alive and tells her side of the

story too. Until a mysterious accident happens that separates

Dorie and Piper, and all seems lost!

Then, in 2015, a boy named Garrett, who is struggling to

cope with his father's traumatic injury, finds Dorie. Garrett

reads Piper's story, bringing the past to life again. Because

of words and music, families discover that the power of

friendship can carry them through hard times.

For fans of Lauren Wolk (Beyond the Bright Sea) and

Natalie Babbit (Tuck Everlasting), That Smudge of Smoke

weaves together fantasy and history to create a

heartwarming read for middle-school audiences.