Stolen Secrets

Gr 9 Up—Uprooted from calm Vermont to the bustle of San Francisco by her recovering alcoholic mother, Olivia (Livvy) quickly discovers the move was not just for a better job. Instead, mom Gretchen will be caring for Adelle, her mother who has Alzheimer's—the mother she claimed had died years ago. Not only does Livvy discover her grandmother is alive, but her garbled conversations and memories reveal that she lived through the Holocaust and spent time at a concentration camp. Unprepared for the demands of caregiving, Gretchen falls off the wagon and enters rehab in Vermont. Livvy tagteams with sneaky neighbor Vickie to take care of Adelle. Determined not to make friends, she ducks the persistent Franklin D. Shiller until he becomes an ally in uncovering her grandmother's secret past. When they find hidden documents related to Anne Frank that someone wants to get their hands on, Livvy must protect her grandmother and brace herself for some shocking revelations. The author captures the desperate uncertainty of life with an alcoholic and having to parent a parent. Whip-smart Franklin has a uniquely drawn personality and his dialogue with Livvy sparkles. Alcoholism aside, Gretchen appears mean-spirited and callous, making the ending slightly less plausible.