Description: Fourteen-year-old Carey and six-year-old Jenessa have lived in the woods with their mother for as long as they can remember. Now abandoned, they must fend for themselvesuntil they're found by Carey's father and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of comfort. Carey desperately wants to believe in this new reality but is held back by loyalty to her mentally ill mother, who gave Carey her violin and taught her to play the music that helps her survive. And then there's the other piece of Carey's past that haunts her, the story of what happened to her and Jenessa that night in the woodsthe reason Jenessa hasn't spoken in over a year.
Brief description:
Emily Murdoch lives in the Arizona desert with her husband and adopted dogs, spending her days operating a sanctuary for slaughter-rescued horses and burros. At night, she writes furiously by candlelight, capturing the ideas inspired by the day.
Review Quotes:
"Tai Sammons's portrayal of Carrie Blackburn is shaded with a Southern accent and edged with roughness...Sammons's narration calls attention to the author's fresh imagery and conveys a convincing portrait of a brave teen who has raised her six-year-old sister and now suddenly finds herself being thrown into the middle-class world of malls and high school. Sammons' delineation of minor characters adds tension and texture as she gives strong portrayals of Carrie's welcoming stepmother and her angry, displaced stepsister."
-- "AudioFile"