The Other Shepards [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Adele Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Teenage Holland and her younger sister Geneva, having always lived under the shadow of siblings who died before they were born, struggle to establish separate identities and escape from the oppressive weight of their parents' continuing grief.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eighth grader Holland Shepard eloquently narrates the pains of surviving adolescenceAwhen three of her siblings did not. She and her obsessive-compulsive younger sister Geneva live in New York City's Greenwich Village, in a house "inlaid and overworked in memories too precious to sell." The memories belong not to Holland and Geneva, who never knew the other ShepardsAJohn, Kevin and ElizabethAbut to their parents, who remain silent on the subject of the siblings who died 18 years ago. Though a secret stash of photos of the other Shepherds reveals a warm, demonstrative family, now their mother, whose "eyes are glassy with a liquid that never spills," refers to any display of affection as "Ick." When mysterious Annie arrives to paint a mural for their mother's birthday, her creative expression and earthy demeanor provide the antidote to the dispassion of the girls' parents; she leads the sisters to dispel the ghosts and to make memories of their own. Griffin (Sons of Liberty) spins a taut story of two girls whose tomblike home life begins to squelch them, and who must confront the unknown in order to liberate themselves. In a powerful blending of elements from the supernatural, romance and everyday teenage experience, Griffin's story offers a resounding affirmation that fears are to be faced, not denied, and life is to be lived, not mourned. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-A mesmerizing novel about healing and emotional survival. Geneva Shepard and her older sister, eighth-grader Holland, have lived their lives in the shadow of a memory-that of their three siblings who were tragically killed in a car accident 20 years earlier. Geneva, in particular, has been affected and suffers from nearly debilitating psychological difficulties. Then one day, an artist arrives to paint a mural in their home. Part therapist, part friend, part angel, Annie transforms their lives and allows the girls to begin a much-needed healing process after years of perceived secondary importance to their parents. This is a stunning, quietly moving novel that shows the far-reaching aftermath of tragedy in one family's lives. Reminiscent of Judith Guest's Ordinary People (Viking, 1982) but with an air of the supernatural, this touching story is told with insight and tenderness. The probable identity of Annie, saved until the last chapters, is a particularly satisfying twist. The story is told with skill and packs emotion, imagination, and sensitivity into its pages.
Carrie A. Guarria, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 209 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786229144
• ISBN-13: 978-0786229147
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,691,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Look for All You Never Wanted (Random House) coming out in 2012.

Also Tighter is out this spring in paperback. With a really awesome new jacket.

And, if you're still interested, check out www.tighterthebook.com

You can find me on twitter, facebook, or on the web at www.adelegriffin.com.

Drop me a note and I promise to answer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous story!, August 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Other Shepards (Hardcover)

This was a novel that brought it's character's breath into your own. It was a book that made you feel very close and connected to the people in it, as though you knew some hidden personal knowledge. You never felt distanced from the action, it was always touchabley close to you. It was in a sense "a perfect novel" because it had many different angles to the plot, and you could never quite put your finger on what intrigued you about it. Geneva was a very enjoyable relief in the story, her obsessive compulsive behaviors made her like your own sister. Holland was the perfect older sister in a characteristical sense, she had a very understandable personality. I found myself enjoying the novel very much because it was an ever shifting story; it was very interesting to see how the plot was veiled to the reader, and yet it was always just a step ahead. This was a terrific story, and I recomend it to anyone who like a good shape-shifting story.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've ever read., November 17, 2001

By 

Meaghan Good "meggilyweggily" (Venedocia, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Other Shepards (Paperback)

I can confidently state that Adele Griffin, when I read her other books, will probably become one of my favorite authors. I LOVED "The Other Shepards". My older brother died in a car wreck when I was a toddler, too young to really know or remember, so I sort of understand what Holland and Geneva were going through. (I loved their names. I wish I had a name like Geneva.) Holland seemed to be the realistic older sister -- wishing to help Geneva but becoming understandably impatient at times with her sister's bizarre behavior. I didn't realize Annie was a ghost till the end, though I thought she seemed pretty peculiar. Not much actually happened in the story -- I'd call it a novel of adjustment -- but it was a pleasant read. I'd highly recommend it.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, July 29, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Other Shepards (Paperback)

I, too, suffer from OCD and I could relate so well to her rituals and phobias. Perhaps she seems unbelievable to those who have never suffered from or encountered another person who suffers from OCD, but the behavior is just as odd as Griffin portrays it.