Letters in the Attic
by Bonnie Shimko
Published by Academy Chicago Publishers
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Reviewed by Elysabeth Eldering
Lizzy McMann is a 12-year-old who has to deal with seeing her father be a jerk to her mother and her mother constantly standing up for him. When Manny leaves Lizzy’s mother to “marry the love of his life,” she and her mother move back to New York.
Lizzy has to learn to deal with her mixed-up pre-teenager feelings. She isn’t sure why growing up has to be so hard. She falls for another girl, something not even accepted in the 1960s. But it happens. She has to suppress her feelings–never to expose them. Lizzy must watch her friend, who is a couple of years older, deal with her dyslexia and her attempt to take her life because she feels so stupid. Add to the batch that friend Eva knows of Lizzy’s secret and you have a real coming-of- age story.
This is a wonderfully written story that will have you cheering and crying for Lizzy all the way to the end. Definitely a tear jerker at just the right places. This is by the same author as Kat’s Promise, which I reviewed previously. Another well-written story of a 12-year-old who comes into her own through the events that change her life.
Armchair Interviews says: Definitely recommendable reading.
Author’s Web site: http://www.BonnieShimko.com