Reviewed by Dena Landon for TeensReadToo.com
This novel set in Missouri in the 1960's transports the reader to another time and place, where the problems faced by Billie Standish are just as real as those faced by teens today.
Billie's parents wanted a boy, hence the first name of William, and spend the majority of their time ignoring her. When the river starts to rise and threatens to flood, Billie's family is one of the few to stay. She forms an unlikely friendship with an elderly woman, Miss Lydia, who begins to show her that there is more to life than her parent's disappointment and that she is capable of far more than she thought.
When a horrible tragedy befalls Billie, Miss Lydia is the only one who can help.
Crocker tells the gentle story of Billie Standish with grace and sensitivity, contrasting the innocence of a time when space travel was astonishing with the dark actions humans are always capable of. The novel follows Billie's life as she grows from the age of eleven to graduating from high school, and as her friendship with Miss Lydia and the secret they share shapes and transforms her life.
**Disclaimer: This novel contains sensitive subject matter that is geared towards older, mature teens.
This novel set in Missouri in the 1960's transports the reader to another time and place, where the problems faced by Billie Standish are just as real as those faced by teens today.
Billie's parents wanted a boy, hence the first name of William, and spend the majority of their time ignoring her. When the river starts to rise and threatens to flood, Billie's family is one of the few to stay. She forms an unlikely friendship with an elderly woman, Miss Lydia, who begins to show her that there is more to life than her parent's disappointment and that she is capable of far more than she thought.
When a horrible tragedy befalls Billie, Miss Lydia is the only one who can help.
Crocker tells the gentle story of Billie Standish with grace and sensitivity, contrasting the innocence of a time when space travel was astonishing with the dark actions humans are always capable of. The novel follows Billie's life as she grows from the age of eleven to graduating from high school, and as her friendship with Miss Lydia and the secret they share shapes and transforms her life.
**Disclaimer: This novel contains sensitive subject matter that is geared towards older, mature teens.
