cover image Along Came a Black Bird

Along Came a Black Bird

Elizabeth Wild. J.P. Lippincott, $11.95 (184pp) ISBN 978-0-397-32293-0

Wild's first novel traces the affinity that develops one summer between 10-year-old Louise Berry, the middle daughter in a doctor's family in rural Maine, and 14-year-old Beau Carney, the son of itinerant parents with scant means of support. It is an unlikely association from the start, when the proper Louise first glimpses Beau shoplifting from a local store. Then Beau's mother is hospitalized and Louise's family takes him in, and the two acquaintances move from a tenuous liking to a deeply felt bond that remains with Louise long after Beau and his family have moved away. This is a sensitive, well-written novel with a strong sense of place and convincing characters who change and grow. During the course of the summer, Louise learns important truths about loyalty and trust and begins to open herself up to new worlds and perspectives. Most important, she experiences the rare, mysterious power of friendship: something that is, paradoxically, both delicate and resilient. Ages 8-12. (August)