Perma-Bound

Gr 8 Up-Lily is sure that her family is freakish, "not freaks exactly, but getting there." And not one of them is particularly stable. Her mother keeps bringing home "lame ducks," old people from the senior day-care center where she works. Her brother, Lonnie, keeps changing his major at university because he's trying to find himself. Nan, Lily's grandmother, talks to an imaginary friend. And her husband threatens Lonnie with an axe if he drops another major. Lily feels like the only responsible, sensible one in the household-she does the cooking, the cleaning, the shopping, and all of the other chores. She smells of boiled cabbage and window cleaner and wonders if she's getting to be an old woman before her time. To counteract this notion, she decides to do something foolish and young-fall in love. This novel is told by all of the characters, whose lives start out disparate and distanced. As the story progresses, their voices begin to draw in, overlap, and come together. Clarke's characters are fully realized both physically and emotionally. The pace of the plot is gentle and there are no real unexpected twists. Though readers will foresee the events to come, this does not detract from the enjoyment of the book. Some of the Australian idioms may be unfamiliar, but they won't deter most readers.-Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. Like an extended treasure hunt, Clarke's novel traces eight characters through chance meetings, family rifts, and decisive moments to a final, festive celebration of unity. The family's small decisions, actions, and experiences converge in a miracle of identities revealed, kindness rewarded, and apologies accepted. Clarke's sharp, poetic prose evokes each character's inner life with rich and often amusing vibrancy.