The Scent Keepers

 Erica Bauermeister wrote The Scent Keepers. The central figure in this novel is Emmaline who grew up isolated on an island in the Pacific near the state of Washington. She lives with her father on the island. Although she sees people in boats going by she never interacts with anyone but her father. Her father says it is safer this way because people can't be trusted. The island where they live is accessible by boat only once a month when the moon is full. In the winter, the island is not accessible at all. Her father tells her new supplies are brought by mermaids and she believes him for a long time. Her father is very interested in scents. He has a machine that records the scent of a moment much like a Polaroid camera captures a moment. He puts the scent paper into a glass bottle and seals it with wax. He teaches Emmaline to focus on her sense of smell and to improve her smelling abilities. Emmaline's father teaches her to smell, to read, to forage mussels and mushrooms and berries but he really doesn't prepare her for life. As she grows, so does her curiosity. I enjoyed this coming of age novel about Emmaline and her search for the answers she never got from her father.