Starred review from April 15, 2011
The mystery of why her mother suddenly took a job at a summer artists' refuge far from home is solved when 12-year-old Raine meets Gray James, the father she never knew.
But that's only a piece of the puzzle of what was and what could be at Sparrow Road and in her life. The crumbling country estate, a former orphanage, is a place readers will want to explore. It is suffused with a sense of longing, the same wistful atmosphere surrounding the characters in this beautifully written novel, with its leisurely revelation of secrets and sad events of the past. Remarkably, O'Connor has peopled her story almost entirely with grown-ups: Raine's family; Viktor, the mysterious owner; and Lillian, Josie, Diego and Eleanor, artists working there for the summer. These are well-developed secondary characters, each with a distinct personality, but this is fully Raine's tale. The adults nurture her, but they also set her free to discover herself, her family and her own artistry. She and Josie, the quilt maker, piece together the history of the house while Raine imagines, dreams and reconstructs her former contentment, shattered by revelations about her father's alcoholism and her grandfather's anger. Set perhaps 30 years ago, the specific time and place are unimportant.
Readers finding themselves in this quiet world will find plenty of space to imagine and dream for themselves. (Fiction. 10-14)
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
July 1, 2011
Gr 5-7-Twelve-year-old Raine O'Rourke cannot understand why her single mother has abruptly decided to leave their Milwaukee home and her beloved Grandpa Mac to live and work for the summer at an old Lake Michigan estate. Sparrow Road, once an orphanage, is owned and run as an artist colony by stern, enigmatic Viktor Berglund, who imposes strict rules of conduct such as silence until dinner, and Raine is further restricted from leaving the premises, even as her mother and Viktor make mysterious trips to town. She tries to make the best of the situation, exploring the attic where vestiges of the orphanage give her fodder for her own writing, as she uses slim clues to create the persona of orphan Lyman Chase. With help from Diego, a wise and kindly artist, and flamboyant craftswoman Josie, Raine begins to adjust until the real reason for her mother's decision is revealed: the father she has never even heard of lives nearby and wants to meet and get to know her. What follows is a thoughtful coming-of-age story that explores old and new relationships and conflicting family loyalties as Raine learns important things about herself and is left to make a serious decision about her father. Adding interest to this novel, set in a time before computers and cell phones, is a touch of mystery surrounding the orphanage, and Josie's brainchild of an Art Extravaganza that brings townspeople and former orphans back to Sparrow Road. Lyrical writing in this first-person narrative, good character development, and a sympathetic heroine will keep readers absorbed.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from July 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Raine O'Rourke has no idea why her mother would suddenly take a job as a cook at an artists' colony, moving them away from their Milwaukee home and Raine's beloved grandfather. Once ensconced in the decrepit mansion on Sparrow Road, Raine is even more puzzled by several things: icy Victor, who owns the place; the assortment of artists, who labor under speaking moratorium until sunset; and the definite feeling a secret is being kept from her. She is right, of course, and the secret turns out to be the presence of her long-gone father, of whom Raine has virtually no memories. As she tries to figure out if she wants a relationship with Gray James, Raine digs deep into herself and finds an almost mystical comfort in learning about the orphans who once lived at Sparrow Road, especially a boy named Lyman, who speaks to her soul. O'Conner writes with a spare tenderness that not only reveals Raine's dreams and fears but exposes the same feelings in the book's many adult characters. That she can write a book with essentially only one young character and have the result be a timeless piece of middle-grade fiction is a tribute to her understanding that emotions are universal, no matter how old we are, and that art is a balm that has the ability to soothe all wounds. A special book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2011
Raine, twelve, hates the summertime move with her mother to an artists' retreat in the middle of nowhere. Soon, however, she finds herself caught up in several mysteries. With affecting writing and rich characterization, O'Connor crafts a tender and satisfyingly paced story of finding oneself that unfolds nicely across its well-explored theme.
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)