Foley, Jessie Ann. The Car niv al at Bray. Ashford, Connecticut: Elephant Rock Books, 2014.

Forget that this novel was a Printz Award finalist, a Gilbert Morris finalist, a YALSA best book for young adults. Ireland is the primary setting and at so many level it wins my heart by default on that alone. Reasonably, however, I can't expect to sell this to an overwhelming number of readers just because I love the work of Maeve Binchy and Seamus Heaney. So I guess much remains to consider about why this award winning book should be read.

I love 16 year old Maggie Lynch. She has not at any level been dealt a fair hand in her young life. Her dad is not around; her mom bounces from loser to loser looking for love; she often feels alone on the world. She has her Nanny Ei and her Uncle Kevin (thank goodness), but she is forced to leave them behind when her mom's latest relationship results in marriage and a rather abrupt move to Ireland. Maggie Lynch, though...she is young, but she is tough. She stands up for herself most of the time, even if it means being lonely, and when her mistakes take her where she's hurt beyond measure (a loser named Paul, ugh!), she picks herself up and finds a place off strength beyond her years. When the worst happens, the death of her beloved uncle Kevin, she takes his advice to live. With her new friend Eoin, and Nirvana tickets from Uncle Kevin she sets off on an adventure to Rome to see the band live. Certainly she grows up in a number of ways, figures out some things that matter to her, and lives the dream with which her uncle challenged her.

So the mom in me is scared to death of her fearlessness and grateful to have kids beyond 16 who are no longer my direct responsibility. But such fearlessness is exactly what we want for our girls. The teacher librarian in me would love to believe that our kids aren't forced to grow up in the way Maggie is. They don't have parents who drink and largely neglect them. Their role models are not addicted to drugs.They aren't subject to the cruelty of untutored teenage boys. They are able to avoid tragic loss. But reality check. Life is often confusing and messy and uglier than I'd like for my kids. What leaves me just a bit uncomfortable as a read it is their day to day reality. And Foley gives them unvarnished and gritty reality. But with that she gives them a character who also gets beauty. A Nanny who loves her unconditionally, a realization that she loves her mom and is grateful for her in spite of the fact the she drives her crazy. She finds love with a boy who treasures her and gives her second chances. I love that my girls will see her strength and yes, her fearlessness.

I am not a huge grunge fan, but I appreciate the strong presence of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain in this book. It reminds me a bit of Woodson's After Tupac and D Foster in the sense that it looks at how music can define a generation. I love the 1993 of it all, particularly seeing relationships develop without constant texting and social media. Nifty. I don't even think my kids will miss it especially in light of the lovely hand written note in the end. Maybe they'll be challenged to communicate I new (old) ways.

I find much more I want to say about Don Sean and Sister Geneve about Ireland and pilgrimages, but I will just have to work on getting readers to the book. Definitely this is for mature readers. I can sell it to my John Green and Gayle Forman fans with ease. I'm closing with a couple of links that I read. I love getting my kids to the author. I love authors who are honest and transparent, so the my readers can see intention.

An interview with the author here... And her blog here.