the return of Grandma Dowdel
Mary Alice is a fun, spunky heroine to read about. As the story develops, she learns how to be comfortable with herself and to trust those how love her -- especially the shotgun-toting, close-mouthed grandma. Grandma Dowdel is a wonderful character, one of my absolute favorites. She reminds me a little of the stories my mother tells about her own close-mouthed, no-nonsense, unexpectedly humorous, farm-wife mother.
Richard Peck truly illuminates the Great Depression era in a clear-eyed, realistic way that makes it accessible to the reader. Which is probably a very good thing, considering our own current economic troubles.
A gem for any collection.
