Kathryn Fitzmaurice

This book just made me happy.

Totally selfish, I picked this one for me, not for any of the kids, because of the picture on the cover. It looks exactly like my favourite corner in my favourite second hand bookshop (which sadly no longer exists), that I used to visit with my parents at least twice a month.
The story itself is cute, with smart and savvy girl protagonists, and lots of interesting points to discuss with young readers; Emily Dickinson and Danielle Steel; sonnets, haiku and poetry in general; nature preservation, ecology and recycling.… (more)

I really liked the character of Groovy and her story of coming to terms with the betrayal within her own family. What I really had a difficult time with was figuring out the passage of time between scenes and the time of year it was supposed to be. The story was very well told with a good plot. Groovy was a very mature young lady, that despite her hardships and the faults and challenges her parents presented, she loved both of them very much and remained a loyal and faithful daughter. The ending was great filled with forgiveness and love. Good first book Ms. Fritzmaurice.… (more)