Fixing Delilah - Hardcover

Ockler, Sarah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316052094 ISBN 13: 9780316052092

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

About this title

About the Author:

Sarah Ockler is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Twenty Boy Summer, a YALSA Teens' Top Ten nominee, a Kids' Indie Next List pick, and a New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Book Award nominee. Unlike Delilah Hannaford, Sarah never cleaned gutters or painted fence posts as a teen, but she did pull a summer of estate-sale duty at her late grandmother's house, complete with an economy-size jar of Saint Bernard ashes and a priceless antique creamer shaped like a cow. Sarah now lives in Colorado, where she enjoys hiking up mountains, hugging trees, and talking to birds with her husband, Alex. Her website is www.sarahockler.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 8 Up–When Del's grandmother's dies, the teen and her mother, Claire, immediately head to Red Falls, VT. The house is a Victorian relic where her mother and aunt grew up and it holds fond memories for Del, particularly of Rickie, the boy who was once her inseparable companion. An unexplained fight between her mother and her grandmother ended any contact. Claire is a secretive sort who has a demanding job and seems to pay attention only when Del gets in trouble, and Del has obliged. The summer is spent working on clearing the house and repairing it to get it ready to sell, with the aid of Rickie, now known as Patrick, and his father, who run a construction business. Romance ensues, along with uncovering clues about the family mystery regarding an aunt who died at age 19. Although the plot is sometimes melodramatic, romance lovers will enjoy the tender love scenes, while more practical folk may tire of Del's vacillations and whining. The ending seems telegraphed, and nothing is new, except a friend who declares herself a lesbian. The story will satisfy readers who crave romance that focuses on the moments spent kissing and touching rather than on the sex.–Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, COα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0316052094
• ISBN 13: 9780316052092
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320