A Home for Goddesses and Dogs

After her single mother's protracted illness and death, 13-year-old narrator Lydia moves to a rural Connecticut town to live with her matter-of-fact aunt Brat, her buoyant wife Eileen, their greyhound, and their elderly landlord, Elloroy. Soon after she arrives, they adopt a rambunctious rescue dog, Guffer, but Lydia isn't a dog person, and it takes time for her to warm to him. Formerly homeschooled by her mother, she must also adapt to the tiny school, where she eventually forms close friendships. Secrets prove a strong thread, including Lydia's missing dad and the rehabilitation of two maimed pygmy goats. Lydia has her own secret, too: she initially conceals paper collages of goddesses (e.g., the Goddess of Gratitude, the Goddess of the Third Heart) that Lydia and her mother created from salvaged objects to "cope and to keep hope" as her mother's heart grew weaker. When she shares these creations with both family and new friends after a mishap, their reaction to her revelation intensifies their bonds. Though the narrative's leisurely pace fits within the slow, tight-knit community, it can meander. What stands out is the narrative's essential kindness, as Lydia heals and rediscovers the meaning of home and family. Ages 10-up. (Feb.)

Gr 5-8--Thirteen-year-old Lydia has experienced more than her fair share of heartache in her young life; her father left the family six years earlier, leaving Lydia with her mother who was dying of a weakened heart. Lydia's mother homeschooled her so they could treasure their remaining time together, which they did until her death. Now Lydia is uprooted to rural Chelmsford, CT, to live with her mother's sister Bratches (Brat), Brat's wife Eileen, and the 90-something landlord of the farm house, Elloroy. The one familiar thing Lydia has brought with her is a box of goddesses--which are collages she and her mother made from old photographs and ephemera from flea markets. The same week Lydia arrives, Brat and Eileen take in a big yellow rescue dog, whom they name Guffer. It seems Guffer is more trouble than he's worth--he urinates in the house, runs away into the woods, and is scared of everything. Lydia, who is not a dog person, tries to help, but wonders if her new family has an affinity for damaged rescues like herself and the dog. Lydia joins the small 8th-grade class (12 students) at the local school, and despite her initial unwillingness to open her heart, she finds new friends in Sari and Raya. The girls show Lydia how to snowshoe and teach her all about the local farming community. Lydia has secrets that she isn't yet willing to share with her new friends or family, including her goddesses, the unopened cards from her absent father, ailing pygmy goats, and a first crush. Beautifully woven story lines and characters mesh together as Lydia, Guffer, the goats, and her family all start to heal from the inside out. VERDICT Connor (Waiting for Normal, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle) has an innate ability to broach difficult subjects with gentleness, and the myriad strong female characters will be embraced by readers seeking heroines to cheer for.--Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA