The Year Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
This children's novel is set in the California town of San Juan Capistrano. Eleanor Robinson has the nickname Groovy, given to her by her father. She loves to cook and constantly works to develop her skills planning to go to cooking school one day. She is friends with the owners of a local restaurant The Swallow and often helps them out. Groovy's father is a bit of a drifter, and keeps changing jobs, while her mother is a hairstylist hooked on horoscopes. As the book opens, Groovy's dad is pulled aside as they are walking to his new job, and arrested. While this naturally upsets her, she looks to her mother for answers and finds they are more complex than she imagined. As she relies on her friends for support, and helps them with their own problems, she also learns more about her own family history and the great-grandmother she is named for.
This is a book of friends, of forgiveness, and of family and offers many discussion points for young readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment