Signs of Life [Hardcover]

Jean Ferris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995

Hannah, grieving over the loss of her sister, visits the prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux with her parents, where she has mysterious dreams, falls in love with a gypsy circus performer and begins to put her life back together.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shattered by the recent death of her twin sister, 17-year-old Hannah has little hope that a family vacation to Lascaux, France, site of the famous cave paintings, will lift her spirits. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with a Gypsy. Hannah, however, cannot help being attracted to Stefan Kremo, a professional juggler she meets on a river bank. Stefan, a member of a traveling circus, helps Hannah rediscover a psychological dexterity she has not experienced since the night her sister was killed. The backdrop of mysterious caves serves not only as a romantic landscape but also as a connection to Hannah's subconscious yearnings. Through a cycle of dreams about a primitive girl creating paintings on stone, Hannah relives the tragedies of her past and learns how to survive the present. Both a love story and a study of grief, Ferris's (Relative Strangers) tender novel celebrates the regenerating power of love and the resiliency of the spirit. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10?Hannah Flood, 17, and her parents learn how to live after the death of Hannah's identical twin sister. On a cathartic holiday in the Lascaux region of France, they each come to terms with their grief, and readers are left with the impression that they will begin to function again as a cohesive family unit. The setting is just unusual enough, and the supporting characters just original enough to elevate this work above formulaic YA fare. Hannah meets Stefan, a gypsy circus performer who re-opens her heart. She can then begin to accept the loss of her sister. There are some delightful scenes between Hannah and Stefan that offer just the right amount of romance to keep teenagers interested. None of the characters are stereotypes: even Hannah's parents are dynamic and real. Their foibles are clearly articulated, and the troubles she experiences with them extend from their personalities and events. Some interesting factual information about the region flows effortlessly within the context of the novel. Another unusual component is a series of dreams in which Hannah seems to experience events in the life of an ancient cave painter. The insight gained from them moves her towards healing. The conclusion, when Hannah's mother begins to thaw and to reach for her surviving daughter, seems a bit contrived, and even rushed, but it is satisfying.?Lucinda Lockwood, Thomas Haney Secondary School, Maple Ridge, BC
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 121 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J); 1st edition (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374369097
• ISBN-13: 978-0374369095
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,293,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Signs, May 7, 2002

By 

Mindy (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signs of Life (Hardcover)

I think that the book "Signs of Life" was a really good book. It dealt with a lot of major life situations. For example, Hannah has a twin sister named Molly and they were at a New Year's party and Hannah was the one drinking, not Molly. Well Molly was on her way home, early, and she was killed by a drunk driver just a block from their house. The ways that they delt with Molly's death were very real to how we deal with death. This book is for almost everyone, mainly one's who enjoy reading about other's life situations and love.