Child of the Mountains

Gr 5–7—"Child killer's daughter." Ever since her mother's incarceration after the death of her younger brother, Lydia has had to face the ridicule and disdain of classmates and neighbors in her small West Virginia town. Sent to live with her flighty aunt and taciturn uncle, the sixth grader misses her mother and brother, who died from cystic fibrosis, and wants to clear her mother's name. But how? Lydia's regionally accurate and spirited voice tells the story of her family's joys and pain through flashbacks of warm scenes with her mother and brother that contrast with her present life with her aunt and uncle. The slow unraveling of the story makes this affecting novel compelling; the final revelations of the accusations against Lydia's mother are particularly heartbreaking. The cold, clinical, and condescending treatment of hospitalized children and their families in the 1950s is accurately portrayed. Christianity is important to this family, and, depending on the characters, it is represented as sometimes stern and sometimes loving. A surprise twist feels sudden, but believable for the times. Some historical facts and courtroom terms are not incorporated smoothly, which slows the fluidity of the story. An author's note provides relevant West Virginia history. Despite some rough edges, this is a sensitive novel about a smart, authentic, proud, and appealing Appalachian girl on the cusp of maturity.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA