cover image A Blue Moon in Poorwater

A Blue Moon in Poorwater

Cathryn Hankla. Ticknor & Fields, $17.95 (278pp) ISBN 978-0-89919-534-6

Set in the mountains of Tennessee, this evocative and moving first novel chronicles a pivotal year in the life of 11-year-old Dorie Parks, who lives in the Appalachian town of Poorwater. Embarrassed by her poverty, puzzled by her older brother's quixotic comings and goings, Dorie's sense of support comes from her firm friendship with Betty Grayson, a wealthy classmate and neighbor. The two imaginative, inquisitive girls view the confusing adult world with bewilderment. Dorie's father, a miner, is politically active, and both he and his family suffer brutal physical retaliation for his prolabor views. Dorie's brother Willie lives on the fringes of society and is murdered by one of his former associates. Betty, confiding in Dorie, tries to cope with her parent's divorce. As Dorie becomes aware of a larger world outside Poorwater she realizes she has special giftsa mysterious ability to heal and a restless and assertive spiritthat will enable her to move out of her restricted milieu. Sensitive, ably written, though slightly marred by extraneous material about Dorie's father, this novel captures, with sympathy and humor, a young girl's rite de passage. (April)