A Month of Sundays

Gr 5—7—Times are tough for a single mom in Elkhorn City so when April Garnet Rose turns 14, her mother decides to move from Kentucky to Florida where there are more and better jobs. Garnet will stay with her father's sister, June, and her family in Black Rock, VA, while her mom gets established and settled. However, she has never met her father (he left before she was born) or any of his family. Though Garnet is initially uncomfortable with Aunt June, her husband, and their sons, she comes to appreciate family and the small community. She also realizes why her aunt is so actively seeking God by visiting different churches each week. When June's cancer disappears, she attributes it to faith healing by Reverent Shepherd, whose son, Silver, has become Garnet's first love, but a tragic accident results in her first loss. Garnet narrates her journey of discovery and heartbreak, maturation, and growing understanding. It is her voice that makes the relatively speedy resolution plausible. As in her other novels, White captures a small rural community in the mid-1950s that is peopled with likable, memorable characters.—Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library