About the Author:
Audrey Couloumbis lives in South Fallsburg, New York.
From School Library Journal:
Grade 6-9–This novel poignantly captures the tensions, uncertainties, and rifts caused by the Vietnam War. When 13-year-old Grace's brother, Collin, burns his draft card, his stepfather throws him out of the house and the teen heads to Canada. Grace's mother, whose first husband died in the Korean War, supports her son's decisions. Grace is confused about who is right and where her allegiance lies. When the arguing gets to be too much for her, she retreats to her grandmother's farm, where she encounters her large extended family, among them her teenage cousins, who have older brothers whose lives have also been impacted by the war. When Uncle Milford dies in an accident, his relatives recognize the fragility of life and the importance of family. In its touching examination of loss, grief, and the power of families to heal, this novel is reminiscent of Getting Near to Baby (Putnam, 1999). The first-person, present-tense narrative conveys powerful emotions with the simplest of words. Grace's jealousy of her brother, her confusion, and her simultaneously missing and being mad at him all ring true. She comes to realize that all choices are hard, and that while people you care about don't always do what you think is right, it is important that families stay together. Couloumbis's spare, strong writing aptly conveys a difficult time in America.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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