June 1, 2009
SandraKayeisin despair. Her beloved uncle Poppy is brutally killed in his run-down Dallas neighborhood;her adopted son, Jake, leaves college without a word to seek his Guatemalan roots; and her younger son and husband barely communicate with her or each other. In the midst of all this misery, SandraKaye takes on the challenge of selling Uncle Poppys house. Without telling friends or family, she startspainting the house, which holds her happiest childhood memories, and begins to rediscover the neighborhood. When shediscovers young children looking for foodin a dumpster, she decides to bring them sandwiches and meets Cass, a young runaway girl, andher teenage brother and learns that theyare trying to stay together after their mothers death. As their unlikely friendship develops, the tough neighborhood becomes an important part of SandraKayes life and maybe a way to work through her and her familys traumas. The consistently engaging and popular Wingate delivers a warmheartedand genuinely inspirational story of tragedy and hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)