Comfort Creek - Hardcover

McDonald, Joyce

4.31

29 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385322321 ISBN 13: 9780385322324

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1996

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Quinn and her family have seen better days. Mom has gone off to sing in a band, and Pa-Daddy is moving them out of their hometown and into the swampy backcountry. Worst of all, Quinn has lost her chance to edit the sixth-grade newspaper at her old school. Pa-Daddy is having serious money troubles, but is that any excuse for turning Quinn's world upside down? Warmth and wit bring spice to this memorable novel about a family's discovery that sticking together is the only way to beat the rough times.
From the Trade Paperback edition.

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From Kirkus Reviews:

A novel that begins with a lighthearted look at three sisters adjusting to a totally new life evolves into a sadly realistic story about economic dislocation and its effects on individuals, families, and communities. Although her mother left the family for a career, Quinnella Ellerbee, 10, finds life in a small Florida mining company town pleasant enough. When the company is ready to sell off the Ellerbee home, Quinn's father, Pa-Daddy, scrapes up enough cash to make a down payment on it and relocate it to a swampy lot he inherited. The site is a horror to Quinn and her sisters; they are without plumbing, electricity, telephone, or television. When Pa-Daddy loses his job, the only solution is for him to take a job with Quinn's great-grandmother, Nanny Jo. He turns it down. When word comes that a new mining company is setting up shop, it divides the town, as well as Quinn's family. To Pa- Daddy it means a job; to Nanny Jo it means losing her property. Pa-Daddy is nearly killed in a violent confrontation over the new company; Quinn has to deal with her guilt at her part in her dad's injury. McDonald (Homebody, 1991, etc.) has created unforgettable characters in a powerful tale; the setting is authentically evoked while the economic debate could be right out of the headlines of Anytown, USA. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright �1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7-Quinnella Ellerbee and her two sisters are unhappy about the changes in their family since their mother ran off to play with a bluegrass band. Times are hard in the company town of Panther Ridge, FL, especially since the mines have begun to close. The Ellerbees have had to move their tract home out to the swamps onto family land, making do without water or electricity. Quinn has had to change schools and give up her dream of becoming editor of the sixth-grade newspaper. Worse, their beloved Pa-Daddy is depressed and angry, unwilling to discuss his wife's departure or take up his mother's offer to help manage their fruit groves. But Quinn is smart and feisty, navigating the family difficulties with spirit and hope. When a development company comes on the scene and allegiances are threatened, she must find a way to reconcile her love for her father with her conscience-and to stand up for herself. The rural setting is well described, as is the economic and ecological impact of the mines. Quinn is likable and believable, and the family dynamics and secondary characters all ring true. While not fast paced, this is nevertheless a well-written, evocative, and insightful story with an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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