Pip and Emma

Twelve-year-old Pip and his younger sister Emma spend the summer at their grandmother's farm in Vermont. Although Pip enjoys the bustle of his large extended family, he is worried that his mother will never return from Europe, where she has gone alone to ""find herself'' through painting. Several crises occur at the farm, culminating in Pip's almost dying from meningitis; through these trials, he discovers in himself a well of inner strength, as well as a psychic bond with Emma. Despite Pip's fears, his parents are reunited in time for his aunt's wedding. Bacon's first novel has a smooth, unhurried tone. The shift of emphasis from Emma to Pip is disconcerting at times, but the rural setting and loving familial relationships are a plus. (912)