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, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
