Publisher's Hardcover ©2023 | -- |
Sisters. Fiction.
Orphans. Fiction.
Eccentrics and eccentricities. Fiction.
British Columbia. Fiction.
Uninvited guests demand new survival skills from the McCready sisters in this follow-up to Pine Island Home (2020).The school year is about to start when Mrs. Weatherspoon, who cared for the girls in Borneo after their parents' death, comes to visit, upsetting the equilibrium. She arrives with another church lady, Jo Menzies, and everyone soon finds themselves towed along in Jo's manipulative, overbearing wake. At 15, Fiona can't relinquish the burden of being in charge of her family, shying away from their guardian Al's willingness to pay for things. Thirteen-year-old Marlin has yet to realize her ambition to publish her cookbook. Ten-year-old Natasha's contemplative approach to understanding the world manifests itself in a surprising way. And 8-year-old Charlie has an optimistic naïveté in the face of all this fierce independence. Jo is self-absorbed and almost comically evil in her disregard for everyone but herself. Horvath skewers those who try to wield power over others, using diet or religion or opinions as cudgels. As frustrated Fiona and Marlin find themselves feeling impotent rage, they also gain an understanding of what it means to be-and stand up for-oneself. Everyone presents as white. Horvath keeps the pace captivating in this domestic drama as she demonstrates that life's ups and downs are inevitable. Neither certainty nor confirmation of beliefs is forthcoming-there are few comeuppances for bad behavior-but what emerges is a compelling case for self-reliance, creativity, and kindness.Terrifically entertaining. (Fiction. 10-14)
ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)In this sequel to Pine Island Home (2020), the McCready sisters have settled into their British Columbia home and are looking forward to the school year now that neighbor Al is their official guardian. But troubles soon ensue: Mrs. Weatherspoon (who cared for the girls after their parents' deaths) comes for an extended visit, bringing her odious friend Jo along; Fiona, 15, and Marlin, 13, have trouble with peers at school; Natasha, 10, loves her new violin (until she doesn't); and Charlie, 8, longs for a dog. Much of the conflict centers around Jo, an opinionated manipulator who imposes her beliefs on everyone. The girls' dilemma (how to graciously evict two adults who are ruining their lives) provides the story's most thoughtful and humorous moments, and the solution ntrived by the ever-resourceful Fiona and executed by the always-dependable Al deeply satisfying. Horvath's prose is smooth and engaging (she excels at both comedy and pathos) and always respects children's inner lives. Contemporary yet classic, a fine addition to the family stories shelf.
Horn Book (Thu Sep 07 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Now happily settled after the drama of Pine Island Home (rev. 9/20), orphaned sisters Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie face new challenges when their former guardian, Mrs. Weatherspoon, announces that she is arriving from Australia for a prolonged visit -- and unexpectedly shows up with a companion. Fiona, now fifteen, is furious that the nasty, intrusive, and demanding Jo seems to be ruining her family; she finds some solace in her journal, which becomes a friend, along with the teacher who responds to her entries. Meanwhile, Marlin is struggling with her outcast status at school and the lack of publisher interest in her cookbook, "Thirty Meals a Twelve-Year-Old Could Make and Did!"; Natasha turns out to be a prodigy on the violin but just wants to commune with the natural world; and youngest sibling Charlie desperately wants a dog. True to form, Horvath packs this sequel (which takes readers from the beginning of the school year through Christmas) with relatable incident, vivid dialogue, humor, and moments of profound reflection on the human condition. Martha V. Parravano
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)Uninvited guests demand new survival skills from the McCready sisters in this follow-up to Pine Island Home (2020).The school year is about to start when Mrs. Weatherspoon, who cared for the girls in Borneo after their parents' death, comes to visit, upsetting the equilibrium. She arrives with another church lady, Jo Menzies, and everyone soon finds themselves towed along in Jo's manipulative, overbearing wake. At 15, Fiona can't relinquish the burden of being in charge of her family, shying away from their guardian Al's willingness to pay for things. Thirteen-year-old Marlin has yet to realize her ambition to publish her cookbook. Ten-year-old Natasha's contemplative approach to understanding the world manifests itself in a surprising way. And 8-year-old Charlie has an optimistic naïveté in the face of all this fierce independence. Jo is self-absorbed and almost comically evil in her disregard for everyone but herself. Horvath skewers those who try to wield power over others, using diet or religion or opinions as cudgels. As frustrated Fiona and Marlin find themselves feeling impotent rage, they also gain an understanding of what it means to be-and stand up for-oneself. Everyone presents as white. Horvath keeps the pace captivating in this domestic drama as she demonstrates that life's ups and downs are inevitable. Neither certainty nor confirmation of beliefs is forthcoming-there are few comeuppances for bad behavior-but what emerges is a compelling case for self-reliance, creativity, and kindness.Terrifically entertaining. (Fiction. 10-14)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)In this character-focused sequel to
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Horn Book (Thu Sep 07 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
By the Newbery Honor author, Polly Horvath, comes a sequel to her popular Pine Island Home about orphaned sisters who find a way to make a new family.
Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie McCready have been adopted by their unlikely guardian, Al, and finally settled into their new home on Pine Island in British Columbia.
Then they receive a letter from Mrs. Witherspoon who took care of them after their parents died telling them that she is coming to visit for three months—an inordinate amount of time for a houseguest. Accommodating a fifth person in the tiny house is hard enough, but to their horror, Mrs. Weatherspoon arrives with a companion, her childhood friend, Jo.
Jo has opinions about everything—what they should eat, how they should behave—and she doesn’t hesitate to express them. And sweet Mrs. Witherspoon seems to have fallen under her spell. When she and Jo announce that they are going to extend their stay even longer, Fiona and Marlin are beside themselves. Fiona hates rocking the boat, but there must be a way to get rid of these grown-up bullies so she and her sisters can have the life they wish to lead.
A Kirkus Reviews' Best Middle Grade Book of the Year