Review: Sweet beginings out of sadness
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2013
Less Than Humble Beginnings is an incredibly sweet story about a fifteen year old's struggle with loss and regaining hope. Willie lived a hard life: dealing with an alcoholic mother and her revolving door of men. When her mother tragically dies she leaves her home in Florida behind for a life with her estranged Aunt in Oklahoma. With a heavy heart and scared younger sister in tow, she is reintroduced to her Aunt Janie and five cousins. Although she wants to hate her relatives, their kind demeanor and openness eventually wins her over. Even though she has moments of grief for her mom, Willie acclimates very well to her new family and life. She finds herself among a group of protective male cousins and their caring friends. She finally begins experiencing life as a normal fifteen year old should. Willie even develops her first crush on a boy within her new inner circle!Overall Willie's story is heartwarming. I often forgot this was a work of fiction because the characters seemed so real.Descriptive details often made me feel like I was walking through the streets of Oklahoma and hanging out on her Aunt Janie's property. Chelsea used concise descriptions of her characters which made it very easy to imagine their interactions.The author weaved in Native American heritage insights, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the following books.Less Than Humble beginnings is a story that touched my heart and I would recommend it to readers who want to be touched by struggle and triumph.