Review: Engaging, vibrant story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 15, 2013
Raised By Hand, Lifted By The Tides, by Willett Thomas, is told from the point of view of Lily (Lil Bit), a young girl living in small-town Arcadia, Florida, in the 1950s.  She is estranged from her mother and lives with her grandmother (her 'Bubbah') and uncle.It's extraordinarily well-written.  The voice of the young girl (aged 10-13 during the time in the novel) is strong and consistent throughout, so the reader cannot help but be pulled into her world, experience what she experiences, and essentially live her life through her eyes and her words.  All of the characters are unique, credible and well-portrayed, and their interactions and dialogue are a delight to read.There's a lot going on in the book:  the relationships Lily has with her grandmother, uncle, friends and the difficult relationship with her mother are a core part, but there's also an underlying mystery to be solved and other sub-plots that keep the story moving.Overall,  I enjoyed  the quality of the writing the most.  It was engaging with a rich vocabulary  and plenty of wonderfully crafted passages.