Here So Far Away

Finished February 4
Here So Far Away by Hadley Dyer

This teen novel is set in the early 1990s in a small town in the Maritimes. The teller of the story is George Warren (her first name is Frances, but no one calls her that) who is just about to start her senior year of high school as the book begins. George hangs out with a small group of kids her age, one of whom has just moved away as the book begins. This leaves George, who is a tomboy; her best friend Lisa who is hoping to be chosen to run the play that the seniors put on every year; Nat, who seems a bit shy; and Bill, who, as the only remaining boy in the group, offers a grounding touch.
Lisa's boyfriend is good friends with a boy who has had a crush on George for years, but who she really isn't interested in.
At home George's life is going through an upheaval as her father Paul is on leave from the RCMP after getting his foot amputated due to diabetes and an injury. He's not dealing with it as well as she expected, given his reputation as "The Sergeant". George's younger brother Matthew is a geek with the constitution of a sheltered Victorian girl, fainting at even the thought of blood. George's mother is a rock in the family, but she doesn't put up with too much either, and has moved into the guest room as Paul has started smoking in their bedroom. With her dad's injury, her mother takes over his Honda, and George gets to drive her mother's car, a 1975 Lincoln Continental Town Car that the family calls Abe. George has a job maintaining a historic lighthouse that was moved off the coast to a field near their town, and with the family's financial situation tight right now, she finds herself taking a job as housekeeper to and sometimes caretaker of an old farmer, Rupert.
A new Constable has come to the area to cover the gap that Paul's leave has created, and Frances finds herself drawn to him in ways that are definitely not acceptable.
This is a story of growing up, of first love, of regrets and healing. I loved the characters here, and found myself touched by George's experiences. A great read!