Crossing the Tracks
Gr 6-8–Iris, a 15-year-old living in 1920s Missouri, is sent away for the summer by her father to become a live-in companion to a doctor's elderly mother. She has felt unwanted since her mother died when she was six, and now that her father has a new girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée, Iris knows that there is no longer a place for her in his life. Her position as a caregiver in a rural community doesn't promise to improve her situation, but in Doctor Nesbitt and his mother, Iris finds compassion and friendship, and a place where she belongs. Thought-provoking and tender-hearted, Iris's story is one of a mature young woman who faces life with courage and common sense. Subplots include a romantic attachment, an abused and pregnant young neighbor, and a family death. This thoughtful novel offers strong character development and an engaging protagonist.Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.