Painting the Rainbow

Set in New Hampshire in the summer of 1965, Gordon's (The Shadow Collector's Apprentice) historical coming-of-age novel unfolds through the alternating perspectives of 13-year-old cousins Holly and Ivy. The Greenwoods gather every year at Otter Lake, but ever since a blowup the previous Thanksgiving, multiple tensions are disrupting the family. Holly and Ivy usually have a close bond and even share a secret language, but they are drifting apart. %E2%80%9CEvery once in awhile there was a flicker of our old friendship, but mostly something kept getting in the way," says Holly. Ivy is serious about music and stressed out by her quarreling parents and her politically active college-age brother, while Holly has boys on her mind. As they work together to fix an old rowboat, bits of family history are unleashed, involving Ivy's father's late twin brother and a Japanese boy named Kiyoshi. Beyond the girls' insights into events and changes that feel outside their control, Gordon's story will leave readers thinking about the politics and chaos of relationships and the effect war has on individuals. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (Mar.)