Reviews

Gr 6-8-In this sequel to The Year of the Sawdust Man (S & S, 1998), Nissa, soon to be 13, is determined to keep her new stepmother from changing things in their home. It is one way to hold on to her artistic, wandering, unreliable mother. It is also a way of holding on to her pride in a highly critical, small-minded, gossipy Louisiana town. In her usual, dramatic, surprising way, Nissa's mother enters via the bedroom window to paint a night sky in her daughter's room as a birthday gift and eventually to ask her to come to Chicago with her. Overcoming his fears for Nissa's safety and for the loss of her affection, the girl's father gives his consent; and Nissa finds herself in an exciting, confusing, yet refreshing theatrical company. But her father wants her back, and she feels herself torn between two worlds and two loving but very different parents. The portrayal of Nissa's stepmother is positive, and LaFaye works lyrically with folk expressions and wisdom, conveying them in a delightful way. She also succeeds in picturing the racial attitudes of the era and allows the rural characters to be true to themselves in the city environment.-Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

About this sequel to The Year of the Sawdust Man, in which Nissa attempts to preserve her memories of her mother in a new setting, PW wrote, "LaFaye surpasses the lyricism and emotional depth of her sparkling debut." Ages 8-12. (June) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.