Labor Day

Labor Day

By Joyce Maynard

Being the week of Labour Day I felt this title was appropriate. This is held in the Richmond Public Library adult collection but I believe this coming of age story is wonderful for young adult readers too.

Joyce Maynard has combined a young mans coming of age story with an interesting love story; not just between a man and a woman but also between a boy and a father figure. Labor Day tells the story of Henry and his single mother just getting through life until one Labor day weekend.

Henry's mother finds it difficult to leave the house, with a debilitating discomfort of other people and places. Henry is doing his best to take care of her until they meet an intriguing man the Thursday before Labor Day. While shopping at their local convenience shop Henry is approached by a man, looking a little worse for ware with some blood on his pants and a large cut on his head. Would you invite a stranger with blood on his clothes into your home? Thirteen year old Henry and his mother, Adele, did and what happens next might surprise you.
It turns out that the stranger, Frank, is an escaped convict on the run. Frank is strong and innovative, helpful and kind, even when he has Henry's mother tied up to a kitchen chair there is a safety that Adele seems to feel.

Henry learn's some of life's valuable lessons: how to make the perfect piecrust; don't put in too much water, how to throw a baseball; finger placement is the key. Henry will also learn about jealousy, betrayal, love and patience all from the mysterious Frank.

This is an adult title and has some strong language and contains a small amount of sexual content.

Also available in streaming audiobook format through your RPL Hoopla account.

Book of the Month: March- Bone Gap

By: Laura Ruby

Gossip reigns high in the small farm town of Bone Gap, USA. In a town where everyone knows everyone else's business (or at least thinks they do), Finn is laden with guilt over the misconceptions of his peers. Roza, a beautiful Polish woman who recently appeared in Bone Gap under mysterious circumstances was kidnapped and he was the last person to see her. No one believes it was a kidnapping, not the police, not the townsfolk, not even Finn’s older brother Sean. Determined to set things straight, Finn sets out to find Roza, no matter the cost. Jumping from past to present, the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap are woven together in a beautiful, heartbreaking tale.  

This book was particularly interesting because it was hard to tell if it was a piece of true life fiction or a supernatural tale: you're left guessing until the very end.  I found that factor gave the story a compelling edge.  Finn and Roza are both well written characters with a lot of realistic characteristics. Roza, a recent immigrant to the USA, suffers untold horrors as a beautiful young woman far from the protection of her home and family. The flash backs outlining her circumstances are both enthralling and poignant. These well developed characters and their engaging backstory make for a complex and slightly eerie read!

Warning:  For older teens due to sexual content and instances of domestic abuse.

Other Magical Realism Books: Life of Pi, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, The Leaving

Other Similar Books on Social Injustice: How it Went Down , The Alex Crow, Out of Darkness 

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

11 years ago six kids from the same kindergarten class went missing without a trace. Then one day out of the blue, five of the six returned. Now 16 years old, Lucas, Scarlett, Kristen, Sarah and Adam are home only they do not remember anything about their past lives nor where they have been for the last 11 years. All each of them remembers are strange images like hot air balloons and carousals. Not one of them remembers Max, the one child who still remains missing. 

The teens become famous overnight and experience a lot of unwanted attention. A lot of unanswered questions remain and many people including the police are skeptical that the teens truly do not remember anything.  As each of them tries to piece together memories of the past, they slowly start to discover clues that will help them determine who kidnapped them and why.

The Leaving is a fast-paced interesting read that is different from any other teen book I have read in a long time. If you like mysteries and or realistic fiction books, you are sure to enjoy The Leaving by TaraAltebrando.

Other books similar to The Leaving are Room, Panic, Bone Gap