Billie Standish is an 11-year-old girl growing up in a small
Missouri town in the 1950’s. Her parents are consumed by their work, leaving
Billie alone most of the time. Her mother is abusive; her father is distant. There
are only two other girls her age in town, and they don’t like her. She spends
most of her time alone. She feels invisible, and has to look in the mirror to
be sure she exists.
It takes a disaster for her to find a friend. After heavy rains, a
levee is in danger of breaking, and Billie discovers that the town has been
evacuated. Her parents are out on their farm, and she is terribly alone. Then
she sees her elderly across-the-road neighbor Miss Lydia, who has also chosen
to stay in her home. The two form a bond that sustains them through tragedy and
hardship. In Miss Lydia, Billie has an advocate and a friend at last.
This is a wonderful young adult book by a Missouri author.
288 pages
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