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New York City in the 1960s is the humming backdrop for this poignant, gritty story about a girl who sees her parents as flawed human beings for the first time, and finds the courage to make a fresh start.
Missy’s mother has gone back to school to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. Missy’s father works in advertising and takes Missy on secret midnight excursions to Harlem and the Village so she can share his love of jazz. The two write poems for each other — poems that gradually become an exchange of apologies as Missy’s father’s alcohol and drug addiction begins to take over their lives.
When Missy’s mother finally decides that she and her daughter must make a fresh start, Missy has to leave her old apartment, her school, her best friend and her cats and become a latchkey kid while her mother gets a job. But she won’t give up on trying to save her family, even though this will involve a hard journey from innocence to action, and finally acceptance.
Based on the events and people of her own childhood, Amanda Lewis’s gorgeous novel is driven by Missy’s irresistible, optimistic voice, buoyed by the undercurrents of poetry and music.
Key Text Features
poems
dialogue
literary references
epigraph
vignettes
“I couldn't resist reading it straight through. I just loved it. Truly, a stunning story. ” — Kathi Appelt, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honoree
“A poetic punch to the gut. You won't be able to stop reading.” — Martha Brockenbrough, author of 'Into the Bloodred Woods' and 'The Game of Love and Death'
“A splendid, genuine, and beautifully told story, written with authority and an ear for music and truth. ” — Louise Hawes, author of 'Big Rig' and 'Language of Stars'
“Missy's sweet and hurting heart nearly broke me ... A masterpiece.” — J. Albert Mann, author of 'Fix' and 'The Degenerates'
“A truly moving story ... Not simply a memoir, but a page-turner, an historical reflection, and a poem, all in one.” — Marthe Jocelyn, author of the Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series
“I am in awe of this complicated family love story, in awe of its ability to throw us into the vortex and yet exercise restraint.” — Rita Williams-Garcia, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author
“Powerful, simultaneously simple and complex.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“This title would be a great addition to a middle or high school library.” — School Library Connection
“[Missy's] resilience and resourcefulness ... make her a character to remember and admire.” — Historical Novels Review