One thing I love about summer is all the extra time I have to read good books. I'm always reading something but in the summer, I go through a couple of novels in a week if I'm not doing much else.
This book is by an author I've read before. Her first book The Weight Of Silence was my favorite. I've read them all. This one is her 4th novel.
STORY SUMMARY
Ellen Moore is a social worker for her county's family and children's services department. She lives in a small city in Iowa with her husband Adam and their 3 children (Leah, Lucas, and Avery who is a toddler). Adam is a teacher and baseball coach. It is summer so Adam is home with the children but has to run a baseball practice. Ellen, who is always very busy, advocating for abused and neglected children, rushes out the door one morning. Adam is to take the 2 older children to a babysitter and Ellen is supposed to take Avery to the daycare. Except she forgets. She leaves Avery in the locked car on a very hot and humid morning while she is dealing with one of her clients. Avery is in there for about 45 minutes. The scary thing? Ellen doesn't know that Avery is in her car!! She was so distracted and multi-tasking regarding her job.
A neighbor, who used to be a client of Ellen's, rescues the baby and performs CPR. Meanwhile, Ellen is arrested and an order of protection is served against her regarding her baby. Even though this was a horrible accident, Ellen is now facing what some of the parents she has worked with have faced....the risk of losing her children to foster care. Will Avery be ok??
Meanwhile, in Benton, Nebraska, Jenny Briard, a 10 year old little girl whose mother abandoned her for an abusive boyfriend, is left on a bus, alone, because her father is arrested for assault just minutes before he is to board the bus taking them to Iowa. Jenny has all of her belongings, including some photos of when she was beaten by her mother's boyfriend, in a backpack. She also has her father's cell phone.
She arrives in the same city that Ellen lives in and meets a wonderful grandmotherly type person at the local diner. Maudine is Ellen's mother! She takes Jenny in while trying to help her figure out the next steps.
When Ellen and Jenny meet, little do they know just how much they might be able to help each other.
MY THOUGHTS
Another excellent story by this author. The characters are so authentic you feel like you are reading something from the headlines of your local city paper.
I found my self cheering for Jenny.......she is depicted as a very street smart and savvy little girl and like most abused children, her heart is kind with an untrusting soul.
The story is gripping and fast-paced. I like that in a book.
The themes revolve around motherhood and justice. It talks about the "little mercies" we can experience in trials and storms of life. Little mercies are like blessings. We sometimes have to look for them but they are there.
I found myself cheering Ellen on as well. It is difficult to balance well our professional and personal lives. This book will resonate well with working moms and I like that.
When Jenny finds out about her biological mother and the choices she has made, my heart broke for Jenny yet at the same time, it was neat to see how the author concluded her story. Jenny's character is one that you will never forget!
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older. (due to themes of abuse, neglect, child abandonment)
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
1 comment:
Another of your reads to add to my library list! Can you please have a string of so-so's so that I can catch up? LOL.
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