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Chasing Lilacs
Carla Stewart
2010, 291 pages
Fiction
The summer after sixth grade was the start of a tumultuous time for Sammie Tucker, a 12-year-old girl who lives in a small Texas petroleum community. Her mother has had nerve problems ever since Sammie's baby sister, Sylvia, died seven years ago, is sent away to a hospital for therapy after attempting suicide. During that time, Sammie tries to keep things as normal as possible; helping her neighbor, Goldie, take care of her many parakeets, writing a newspaper with her outspoken friend, Tuwana, and befriending a mysterious boy, Cly, from California who was left to be raised by his uncle.
When Sammie's mother returns a few weeks later, everything seems to go back to the golden time before Sylvia died. That made the shock of what she was told when the principal called her out of school even more acute – her mother was found dead in their garage. She had committed suicide. Will Sammie ever be able to come to terms with the storm of emotions her mother's sudden death sets off? Who can she turn to? Who can she trust?
Carla Stewart's debut novel is a beautifully written coming-of-age story. Stewart does an impeccable job telling Sammie's story through the eyes of a 12-year-old and not an adult trying to think like one. She is a talented author and worth keeping an eye on in the future.
