Tuesday, March 11, 2014

True Colors (2012)

True Colors. Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. 2012. Random House. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely enjoyed reading Natalie Kinsey-Warnock's historical novel, True Colors. This novel is set in Vermont, in the summer of 1952. The heroine of True Colors is Blue Spooner. (She absolutely HATES her name. Why did Hannah have to name her Blue? why?! Then again, why does Hannah have to name their new stray cat, "Cat"?!) Blue was a newborn baby left on Hannah's doorstep. There wasn't a note, explanation, or clues, at least not that have been revealed to our young heroine. Blue spends her time doing dozens of chores on the farm, fantasizing about finding her mother, and hanging out with her summer-time friend, Nadine. This summer has been extra difficult, perhaps, because Nadine is distant and sometimes haughty. She is a year or two older than our heroine, and Hannah assures her that Nadine is just "at that age" and that Blue will understand more when she's "that age." It's a summer of living and learning, Blue, for example, gets her first job and first paycheck. She also attends her first quilting meetings. She finds that she's good at listening and writing. (Sometimes she's a little too good at listening when she overhears a few things she shouldn't.) Family. Friendship. Community. It's a coming of age novel that touches on the bittersweet; I found it completely satisfying.

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

1 comment:

Suko said...

This does sound like a good, "true blue", coming-of-age novel, Becky.