Publisher's Weekly Review
Durrow's debut draws from her own upbringing as the brown-skinned, blue-eyed daughter of a Danish woman and a black G.I. to create Rachel Morse, a young girl with an identical heritage growing up in the early 1980s. After a devastating family tragedy in Chicago with Rachel the only survivor, she goes to live with the paternal grandmother she's never met, in a decidedly black neighborhood in Portland, Ore. Suddenly, at 11, Rachel is in a world that demands her to be either white or black. As she struggles with her grief and the haunting, yet-to-be-revealed truth of the tragedy, her appearance and intelligence place her under constant scrutiny. Laronne, Rachel's deceased mother's employer, and Brick, a young boy who witnessed the tragedy and because of his personal misfortunes is drawn into Rachel's world, help piece together the puzzle of Rachel's family. Taut prose, a controversial conclusion and the thoughtful reflection on racism and racial identity resonate without treading into political or even overtly specific agenda waters, as the story succeeds as both a modern coming-of-age and relevant social commentary. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
After a horrific family tragedy claims the lives of her mother and two siblings, 11-year-old Rachel suddenly finds herself living in racially divided 1980s Portland, OR, where life for the biracial girl seems utterly foreign, confusing, and cruel. Part tragedy, part mystery, and part coming-of-age tale, Durrow's (heidiwdurrow.com) 2008 Bellwether Prize-winning debut novel slowly unfurls from several carefully intertwined perspectives. The characters are drawn so vividly and portrayed so well by the narrators-Karen Murray, Emily Bauer, and Kathleen McInerney-that their voices will continue to resonate long after the book is done. A solid hit; strongly recommended. [Audio clip available through www.-highbridgeaudio.com; said to be similar to Graham Swift's Waterland and Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea, the Algonquin hc was recommended "for readers intrigued by the psychology behind shocking headlines," LJ 10/15/09.-Ed.]-Valerie Piechocki, Prince George's Cty. Memorial Lib., Largo, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.