This is one of those books that I had been waiting to read for some time. Everytime I went to check it out of the library, it was unavailable. For some reason, I never bought the book. I got it as a Christmas gift. It is a fantastic read.
The story takes place in South Carolina. A teenage girl with all of the typical teenage girl problems feels unwanted by her father and the community around her. She starts off on a search for her late mother. This of course not only leads her to discover things about her mother, but also things about the world at large and herself.
This book is an example of good American storytelling. Every chapter leaves you satisfied yet wanting more. I haven't read a book this good in some time. I'm definitely going to need to read more of Sue Monk Kidd's works.
This book is also relevant to the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday this weekend. This book spends a lot of time dealing with segregation and race issues in the South. Since this dark era of American history was before I was born, it is helpful for me to read books dealing with these issues to help me understand how far we have come--and how far we have to go.
My Rating: 5/5