Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Year the Swallows Came Early






by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

*

A great (quick read) debut novel that takes place during the year that Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson turns eleven. I love the very California-esque flavor of this book, and the discussion of the phenomenon that is the migration of the swallows of San Juan Capistrano. It's a story of forgiveness, redemption and learning to open your eyes, mind and heart to the stories of those around you. Maybe my favorite character is Groovy's mom, who, as a hairdresser, turns to deep conditioning treatments, color changes and her daily horoscope as a way to fix life's problems. She made me laugh. A great reminder that family is the center (or epicenter) of our lives, whether we like it or not, and that coming together is the balm that heals.

5 comments:

rebecca said...

This time of year I've only got small pockets of reading time, so quick and worthwhile books are perfect. Thanks for the review!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a fun read--thanks for another great recommendation!

The Mormon Monk said...

Nice read on the center/epicenter bit. I liked that--clever.

Courtney said...

Perfect timeing. I've noticed I've been reading a lot of YA Science Fiction and while that is good I need variety.

Kathryn Fitzmaurice said...

Thank you very much for writing such lovely comments about the book. I'm so happy you enjoyed it enough to write about it on your blog.