Mischief and Malice
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the eve of World War II, Mischief and Malice is a brand new work from an iconic figure in young adult literature. Following the death of her Aunt Eveline, fourteen-year old Addie—who we first met in Berthe Amoss's classic Secret Lives—is now living with her Aunt Tooise, Uncle Henry, and her longtime rival cousin, Sandra Lee. A new family has just moved into Addie's former house, including a young girl who is just Addie's age. Meanwhile, Louis, the father of Tom, Addie's lifelong neighbor and best friend, suddenly returns after having disappeared when Tom was a baby. Between school dances, organizing a Christmas play, fretting about her hair, and a blossoming romance with Tom, Addie stumbles upon a mystery buried in the Great Catch All, an ancient giant armoire filled with heirlooms of her family's past, which holds a devastating secret that could destroy Louis and Tom's lives. Once again, Berthe Amoss has created an indelible portrait of a young girl coming of age in prewar New Orleans.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Berthe Amoss is the author and illustrator of twenty-eight children's and young adult books. Her picture book The Cajun Gingerbread Boy won a Children's Choice Award, and her YA novel The Chalk Cross was a finalist for the Edgar Allen Poe Award. She lives on the Gulf Coast in Pass Christian, Mississippi.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
More than 35 years after the publication of Secret Lives, Amoss returns with a sequel that sees now-14-year-old Addie Agnew living with her Aunt Toosie, Uncle Henry, and "hateful" cousin, Sandra Lee, in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Addie's Aunt Eveline has died, but Addie still feels close to her, thanks to the Catholic belief in communion with the saints. Addie struggles with romance: she's not sure how she feels about Tom, her best friend who seems boring compared to Sandra Lee's boyfriend. When Tom's father, Louis, returns after having abandoned his family, Addie is sure she is in love ("It must have happened before, and he'd only be forty-four when I was twenty"), but Louis's attentions to Addie may have more to do with a secret he is hiding. While the mystery element is slightly rushed and too easily solved, Addie's crushes will resonate with all who have misplaced their affections. The competitive relationship between the cousins is realistically drawn, and Addie's amusing, tart observations and the homey New Orleans setting form the heart of this lively and engaging read. Ages 9 up.
