This coming-of-age story emphasizes the significance of authenticity and the strength of friendship as it unfolds in the final installment of the Bakers Mountain Stories series. Readers will be drawn into the characters' journeys of self-discovery and the bonds that shape their lives, culminating in a heartfelt exploration of personal growth and connection.
Set against the backdrop of post-World War II, the story explores Ann Fay Honeycut's struggles with her father's return from war and her own battle with polio. As she navigates shifting friendships and her father's trauma, Ann Fay realizes that she needs to focus on her own healing. Her journey to the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation offers her solace, new friendships, and a fresh perspective on life. Through this transformative experience, she learns to embrace her individuality and redefine her place within her community.
Twin sisters find themselves growing apart as they respond differently to their father’s postwar trauma, the NASCAR speedway in their town, and their new high school With home life destabilized by her father’s post-World War II trauma, Ellie Honeycutt seeks escape at the NASCAR speedway and in her dreams of travel and college. Meanwhile, her twin sister, Ida, clings to family and finds solace in her sketchbook. Their close relationship is threatened when they both fall for the same charming classmate at their new high school—but a devastating car accident renews the sisters’ deep bond, forcing them to reverse their roles. Set against the backdrop of the nuclear arms race and the 1952 presidential election, this middle grade historical fiction novel is a powerful story of sisterhood and growing up, told in the twins’ alternating voices.
Set against the backdrop of World War II and a polio epidemic, the story follows Ann Fay Honeycutt as she steps into her father's shoes to support her family. As she navigates the challenges of increased responsibilities and the community's response to the health crisis, Ann Fay's resilience and resourcefulness are tested. Through her journey, she learns about the power of friendship and the depths of her own loyalty, ultimately discovering unexpected love amidst the tragedy.
While World War II looms over the United States, 14-year-old Junior Bledsoe struggles with his own battles at home.