Description:- Clementine thinks her cousin Fan is everything that she could never be: beautiful, imaginative, wild. The girls promise to be best friends and sisters after the summer is over, but Clementine’s life in the city is different from Fan’s life in dusty Lake Conapaira. And Fan is looking for something, though neither she nor Clementine understands what it is.
Printz Honor Winner Judith Clarke delivers a compassionate, compelling novel with the story of a friendship between two young women, and of the small tragedies that tear them apart from each other, and from themselves.
Review:- This was a very moving novel that left me in tears. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be beautiful.
I am in awe of the author who made me feel, smell ,hear and experience every emotion along with the two main characters Clementine and Fran.
The great ability of the author was not only to make you feel the experiences that were on the page but those that were hidden in the writing.
This is the story of two very different cousins, Clem who is shy and is brought up in a very supportive and stable two parent home, she lives in a town. Fran who is apparently a very confident, worldly wise young women from an unstable background. Her mother not only does not give encouragement but goes out of the way to destroy it, she lives in the country.
This novel is set out in six parts prologue and epilogue 2009 present day for Clementine , there are four parts in between which covers various important decades
As the cousins grow up their lives take very different routes and life styles with always the promises of getting together has left Clementine with many feelings of guilt. The decades pass and Clementine progresses to University where as Fran becomes a young married women often left alone and feels isolated both by geography and feelings of drudgery.
Due to it’s time setting various situations of that time were highlighted e.g. racism, the roles of women, Neighbours didn’t interfere. Fran’s suspicions when anyone gave her time but to mention just a few. There are many moments of nostalgia laughter, love and regret.
In this novel issues experienced by teenagers is treated in a very sensitive manner, anxiety , stereotyping, bullying and depression. The latter being handled in an extremely compassionate manner. Nothing prepares you for the ending.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It’s not my usual genre but still a good read.
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