Where the Heart Is
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
If home is where the heart is, what would happen if you lost it? Compassion and humor infuse the story of a family caught in financial crisis and a girl struggling to form her own identity. It’s the first day of summer and Rachel's thirteenth birthday. She can't wait to head to the lake with her best friend, Micah. But as summer unfolds, every day seems to get more complicated. Her “fun” new job taking care of the neighbors’ farm animals quickly becomes a challenge, whether she’s being pecked by chickens or having to dodge a charging pig at feeding time. At home, her parents are more worried about money than usual, and their arguments over bills intensify. Fortunately, Rachel can count on Micah to help her cope with all the stress. But Micah seems to want their relationship to go beyond friendship, and though Rachel almost wishes for that, too, she can’t force herself to feel “that way” about him. In fact, she isn’t sure she can feel that way about any boy — or what that means. With all the heart of her award-winning novel See You At Harry's, Jo Knowles brings us the story of a girl who must discover where her heart is and what that means for her future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Summer starts off with a bang for Rachel when she receives a refurbished bike for her 13th birthday, but things quickly go downhill as she confronts unwanted change. Her longtime best friend, Micah, wants more than just friendship, but Rachel doesn't think she is attracted to any boy or anyone at all something that makes her feel "different." Then there are the escalating fights between her parents about money, which are scary to both Rachel and her little sister, Ivy. If keeping Ivy distracted from family problems isn't hard enough, Rachel's also taking care of her neighbors' animals for the summer, and the peckish chickens and an aggressive pig might prove to be more than she can handle. In this bittersweet coming-of-age novel rooted in some of the author's own experiences, Knowles (Still a Work in Progress) paints a down-to-earth picture of an adolescent girl who is saddled with too many responsibilities. Rachel's anger and frustration over not being able to control her situation is as vividly expressed as her growing maturity and courage. Ages 10 14.)
