Looking for Home - Aerial Fiction Author:Jean Ferris From School Library Journal Grade 7 Up-- With an abusive father, a cowed mother, and nervous and unhappy younger brothers, 17-year-old Daphne dreams of a loving family, a happy home. When the passions of a prom-night drive with wonderful Scott, who's going off to college, leave her pregnant and unwilling to have an abortion, her fear of her fath... more »er's reaction pushes her into packing a few essentials, leaving high school, and hopping a bus to a new city. Resenting the new life growing inside her and anxious for the time when she can put it up for adoption, Daphne finds a job waitressing in a new restaurant. The owner, a former surgeon, and the cook, a young black student, have affection enough for everyone--the customers, each other, and especially Daphne. Surrounded by their caring, Daphne's life begins to take shape with a growing independence and the security that the job and new friends have afforded. Gradually, friends become her new family and when the baby is born, Daphne decides to keep it. Because the story is told by Daphne, it has a youthful sweetness about it. Through Daphne's eyes, readers see her "real" family and the complexities of her new "family" relationships. The difficult decisions, to break with Scott without telling of her pregnancy, and to carry her unborn child to term, are handled reasonably and appropriately, and there is depth in the measure of Daphne's mutually caring relationship with her mother, with whom she keeps in touch. It may all be too good to be true, but when the last pages connect Daphne with both of her families, it's a conclusion that will please readers. --Marjorie Lewis, Scarsdale Junior High School, NY Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.« less