Many thanks to
Kara and
Christa for reading and blogging about this title I would have missed. I loved this coming-of-age novel of Lizzy, age 15, who begins working at the nursing home Paradise Lodge for pocket money and is quickly thrown into the deep end, responsibility-wise. Lizzy is resourceful and astute and she quickly becomes a valued member of the highly dysfunctional Lodge team. Now, if only she could start attending school again...
Stibbe brings to life a vivid cast, with not a stock character in the bunch. My favorite is Lizzy's mother, a loving trainwreck, whose impending marriage to Mr. Holt figures in the novel's dramatic finish. Rich in specific detail of time (the mid-70s) and place, (Leicestershire), a review won't do this funny, smart and warm novel justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment