Good Graces - Softcover

Kagen, Lesley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0451236653 ISBN 13: 9780451236654

Publisher: Berkley, 2012

Synopsis

To this day, my sister insists it was nothing more than the unrelenting heat that drove us to do what we did that summer, but that's just Troo yanking my chain the way she always has. Deep down, she knows as well as I do that it wasn't anything as mundane as the weather. It was the hand of the Almighty that shoved us off the straight and narrow path... 

Whistling in the Dark--a national bestseller--captivated readers with the story of ten-year-old Sally O'Malley and her sister, Troo, during Milwaukee's summer of 1959. Now it's one year later, and Sally, who made a deathbed promise to her daddy to keep Troo safe, is having a hard time honoring her vow. Her sister is growing increasingly rebellious amid a string of home burglaries, the escape from reform school of a nemesis, and the mysterious disappearance of an orphan--events that have the entire neighborhood on edge. And in that tense, hot summer, Sally will have to ground her flights of imagination, and barter her waning innocence, in order to sort the truths from the lies to protect her sister and herself.  

About this title

From the Author

Dear Readers,

When I sent my debut novel, Whistling in the Dark, out into the world four years ago, I kept my fingers crossed that readers would connect with my two little girls stumbling through a bygone era.  To my astonishment, and profound gratitude, readers not only seemed to enjoy the story, they clamored for more!

Of course, I was thrilled by their enthusiastic response, but when I sat down to tackle Good Graces it was with more than a little trepidation. I'd never written a sequel before, and so much time had passed. Would I be able to recapture the characters' voices, the feel of the block?  I couldn't have been more surprised when I fell back into the O'Malley sisters lived so easily.  I suspect it's because I grew up on the west side of Milwaukee during the 1950's in a neighborhood very similar to the one where the stories are set.  The lingo of those days, the clothing, the movies and music, it's a part of me.  My history.

I'm often asked if it's difficult to tell a story through the eyes of a young narrator.  Not really.  Children's language may be less developed, their perceptions immature, but we share something vital that makes it easy for me to connect with them.  Emotional cores. Hopefully, without the armor of adulthood getting in the way, the kid in me can connect with the kid in you so we can get down to the nitty-gritty of life...our feelings.

I hope you enjoy reading about the further adventures of the O'Malley sisters, and their friends and neighbors on Vliet Street, as much as I enjoyed writing about them again.  It felt good to be home.

Warmest wishes,

Lesley

About the Author

Lesley Kagen is an award winning, New York Times bestselling author, a mother of two, an actress, voice-over talent, and former restaurateur.  Her books include Whistling in the Dark, Land of a Hundred Wonders, Tomorrow River, and Good Graces. Her work has been translated into six languages. She lives in Wisconsin.

About this edition

• Publisher: Berkley
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0451236653
• ISBN 13: 9780451236654
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416