Beth Kephart

You Are My Only is one of those novels where the reader knows from the first word that all is not well but that the danger or key issue is well-hidden. A tale of two novels, the narrative bounces between Emmy and Sophie, balancing the despair and desperation of one with the terror and curiosity of the other. It is a powerful little novel that showcases the evil in the world as well as the good.

On the surface, Sophie's childhood is odd but not overly so. She is homeschooled, which is not show more unusual, So what if the topic she is learning is very advanced for her age? Again, it is unusual but nothing which should raise red flags. Yet, it does. Piece by minuscule piece, Sophie shares enough clues to confirm the fears of the reader, which draws the reader's ire as much as it does one's sympathy.

While Sophie's story is told with hints, Emmy's story hits the reader with an emotional punch and does not let up once throughout her narrative. Ms. Kephart captures the anguish and loss of self that accompanies every parent's worst nightmare, and the reader is left to feel Emmy's pain as his or her own. What happens to her after her discovery of Baby's disappearance is even worse, and the reader can do nothing but read in horror at everything she is left to endure.

You Are My Only is an extremely fast-paced, gut-wrenching novel of bravery, self-discovery, and friendship. Through her relationship with Joey and his aunts, Sophie gains the courage she needs to finally seek the answers to questions that have been bothering her for years. Both traverse unspoken dangers in the guise of other people and yet are saved by strangers who later become friends. Beautifully written, Ms. Kephart manages to capture the emotional turmoil and devastation that comes with losing everything one holds dear. Fans of Ms. Kephart will not be disappointed with her latest work, while those unfamiliar with her will no longer wonder why everyone raves about her novels.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and Robert Guzman from Egmont USA for my e-galley! show less

In 1966, the River Arno overflowed its banks and flooded the OneThingStolencity of Florence. The resulting 600,000 tons of mud, rubble and sewage that flowed through the city’s streets damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books, as well as displacing 5,000 families. This despair was overshadowed by Mud Angels, people from around the world, who also flooded into Florence to help remove the mud and sludge and help restore both the city and the antiquities.

In One show more Thing Stolen, Beth Kephart (my favorite author) contrasts the despair and hope described above with the despair and hope of Nadia Caras, a seventeen year old girl in Florence for her professor father’s sabbatical, who suddenly has trouble verbalizing. It is her best friend, her family and a doctor, who provide the hope that she will regain her communication skills.

Although Nadia is supposed to be her father’s right hand during his research of the 1966 flood, she is losing herself in Florence. She is barely sleeping. She, inexplicably, has the urge to steal things, many of which end up in the intricate nests she weaves and hides under her bed. As she wanders the city alone, against her parents’ wishes, she runs into Benedetto, a young boy who steals flowers. He shows up in the oddest places, often giving Nadia a flower. The problem is that no one other than Nadia has seen him.

As Nadia begins to lose herself and think herself crazy, her link to sanity is finding Benedetto. However as much as she searches, he does not want to be found.

Beth Kephart has layered her stories here. There are the constant flashbacks of Nadia and her best friend, Maggie, in Philadelphia, when Nadia was in full control, when she was the one with all the ideas, the leader of the two person pack, in contrast to Nadia’s struggles now. There is the story of Nadia’s father’s empty notebook, his story of the flood more resembling a drought. There is the story of Nadia’s brother Jack and his budding love affair with the beautiful Perdita. And there is Katherine, a Mud Angel, a doctor and her father’s friend who devotes herself to helping Nadia.

While the story is an unusual one (I can’t think of any comparable plot), it is the descriptive use of language that makes any Beth Kephart book special. It is through this language that we get the feel of Florence, its alleyways, its cobblestone streets, its cathedrals, its myriad of markets blanketing the bridges over the Arno. It is through language that we understand Nadia’s frustration with herself, her fear that she might be going crazy. It’s through language that we understand all the different types of nests that birds construct (who knew?).

If you want a literary treat, read a Beth Kephart book (adult or young adult), my favorites being: One Thing Stolen, Nothing But Ghosts, Small Damages and You Are My Only….heck I love them all. show less

This one gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars for the writing style alone. I was so envious of Kephart's skill the entire time I was reading that I almost wanted to put it away and spare my ego, but I couldn't. It's too darn good.

It wasn't the emotional tear-jerker I was expecting, but it is a beautifully written story told from the alternating point of view of two characters that were incredibly unique even if the premise wasn't. Don't discount this story just because you think it's predictable show more or something you've read before. It's not.

Emmy is a barely-educated teenager when she marries and has a child. Her husband is an abusive jerk who treats her like garbage. The only bright spot in her life is her baby. So when her child is taken from her she loses it and ends up institutionalized.

Then there's Sophie. Poor, sheltered Sophie who has spent her entire life moving from place to place, avoiding what her mother calls the No Good. She's not allowed to attend school. She's not even allowed outside. But when she sees a boy her age, Joey, playing in the yard next door she finally ventures out and gets a taste of what life should be like. And through friendship and love she learns to stand up to her mother, and to not just accept her fate.

This was one I couldn't put down. It's fast paced, intense, and filled with hope. I kept reading because I had to know if Sophie would escape her sheltered life and find happiness with Joey and if Emmy would ever be reunited with Baby. And because Kephart has a way with words that'll make your heart swell.

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a Young Adult contemporary novel or not. When I requested it from NetGalley it was listed under the Teen section, however I didn't really get a YA feel from it. Amazon recommends it for ages 12+ and there's nothing in it that would keep me from recommending to a younger audience, but I definitely feel this is suited to lovers of mainstream fiction like that of Jodi Picoult. show less

Beth Kephart is one of the few YA authors currently writing who can craft a novel that is not only beautifully written, but that is a compelling page-turner. Told from the alternating perspectives of Ada and Stefan, two teens separated by the Berlin Wall in the 1980s, this is a story of family, sacrifice, love, and freedom, serious themes interwoven with a page-turning account of a variety of escape attempts.

The characters of Stefan and Ada unfold slowly, and some patience is needed for the show more first chapters and adjusting to the alternating perspectives. However, the central characters are richly drawn and complex, and the secondary characters (from family members to children at the day care where Ada works) are also unforgettable.

The tone of the book reminded me of other YA classics such as "The Outsiders" -- alternatively poignant, violent, tender, and suspenseful. It's a book worth not only reading, but rereading, with many sentences to linger over, such as "Love is what you give and love is what you want and love is how you wait, but it doesn't save you (210). show less