AUDIOBOOK
About
In this quietly beautiful coming-of-age story, eleven-year-old Valena lives with her family in rural Ohio where she and her cousin share experiences such as surviving a tornado and going to an amazing circus. Yet Valena lives in both the present and the past as she struggles with racism in her daily life and listens to and learns from her mother's tales of her family's proud history. Moving backward and forward in time, these pieces of Valena's life blend to form an extraordinary portrait of the ties that bind a family together over generations.
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Reviews
"Pitts gives a sparkling performance…As precocious and likable eleven-year-old Valena, Pitts is particularly sharp…Pitts plays both humorous and poignant tones with equal skill, making this an all-around entertaining listen."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Deftly written…A remarkable story of the importance of family ties and taking pride in one's heritage, skillfully narrated by Lisa Reneé Pitts."
Children's Bookwatch
"[Hamilton] has a superb ear for dialogue…The simplicity and directness of the language serve the subject matter beautifully."
School Library Journal