Synopses & Reviews
For as long as Margaret Ann Motley can remember, she has been waiting and hoping for one thing a room to call her very own. And when Margaret's older sister leaves for college, it looks like Margaret's days of waiting are over. But then disaster strikes. Its form: an English cousin named Courtney who has been forced to flee 1941 London because of the blitz. Not at all concerned with what's happening in Europe, Margaret Ann is soon fighting a war of her own as she watches her cousin Courtney get not only her room, but also the attention of her very own family and boyfriend. It's not until Margaret's only brother enlists in the navy that Margaret discovers an ally and a friend where at first she saw only a rival.
Poet and novelist Doris Gwaltney has crafted a detailed, spirited, sometimes humorous, and always deeply felt novel about two girls coming of age and becoming friends in the shadow of the biggest war in modern history.
Review
"Gwaltney does an excellent job portraying what it was like in the states, particularly in a small ruraltown, as people try to continue their lives in a somewhat normal way." Children's Literature
Review
"This perceptive novel focuses on how war affects the people who are left at home their fears, dreams, hardships, and, above all, hopes." School Library Journal
Review
"The language and dialogue evoke the setting beautifully...overall this is a fine look at how WWII affected those left at home." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Gwaltney provides vivid character portrayals, particularly of the strong-willed and increasingly out-of-touch grandmother." Booklist
About the Author
Doris Gwaltney is the author of two adult novels,
Shakespeare's Sister and
Duncan Browdie, Gent. Her poetry and short fiction have appeared in the
Greensboro Review, Poet's Domain magazine, and other publications. She teaches writing for the Lifelong Learning Society at Christopher Newport University and resides in Smithfield, Virginia.