When I got this book from the library to review for the Maine Student Book Award, I did not know it was considered a companion to the author's previous book Prairie Evers. Prairie Evers was on the MSBA list in 2013 - 2014. That was my first year on the committee. I was so furiously reading new books for the next year's list that I was unable to read all the books on that year's list. Follow??? I never got a chance to read Prairie Evers. All that to say - I feel like this book was able to stand on its own.
In this book Ivy, who has been living with the Evers - mom, dad, Prairie, grandma - is faced with a new dilemma. Her mom shows up and wants Ivy to come live with her again. Ivy is torn between her love for her mom and her hope that things will turn around and her love for the Evers family. Because she feels like she is a burden and because the Evers are expecting a new baby, Ivy decides to try things out with her mom again. But that means a new school, a new home, and limited time with Prairie. When things start to deteriorate with her mom Ivy has to decide if she will give up on herseelf and who she can really trust.
This was really good. Ivy could have listened to the voices (mostly mom) telling her she would never amount to anything but instead she chose to be courageous. In the end she made some difficult choices but found a place to belong. Quite a good book (now I may need to read Prairie Evers as well).
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