Galley Talk

Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, N.Mex.

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 3/5/2007

I just read Tawni O'Dell's Sister Mine (Crown, Mar.) a second time recently and fell even more in love with this novel of a small Pennsylvania town where poverty and abuse coexist with the dangers of coal mining. Ex-policewoman Shae-Lynn Penrose moves back to Jolly Mount, where she and her younger sister, Shannon, grew up, where their mother died and where Shae-Lynn's adult son works as the town's deputy. Shae-Lynn is happily driving the town's only cab when her sister, who disappeared 18 years ago, shows up, nine months pregnant and involved in illegal adoption schemes with her Russian boyfriend. O'Dell, whose debut novel, Back Roads, was an Oprah pick, has created a strong, compassionate woman who takes care of everyone and neglects her own needs. With genuine, fully developed characters and abundant humor, it's easy to fall into this exceptional story and never want to leave. This superb novel is perfect for book groups.