Review by Booklist Review
Everhart's compelling third novel (after The Road to Bittersweet, 2018) follows 12-year-old Sonny as she struggles to maintain the life she has always known while everything around her changes. Sonny loves working with her family on their farm in 1950s North Carolina and exploring the land with her best friend, Daniel. It's Sonny's dad who knows her best, even revealing a little bit of magic in passing on his ability to divine water. When Sonny's father dies, unexpected help arrives in the form of next-door neighbor Frank Fowler. Sonny's mama is taken in by Fowler's charm and accepts his offer to fund their cotton crop for the season, but Sonny and Daniel suspect he is not the benevolent savior he appears to be. By picking on Daniel, who is still trying to understand how he is different from his friends, and aligning himself with known Klansmen, Fowler's true nature reveals itself, leading Sonny on an exploration of what kind of person she wants to be. Reminiscent of the novels of Lee Smith, Kaye Gibbons, and Sandra Dallas, Everhart builds a firm sense of place, portraying the tiredness and hope of a dry southern summer and voicing strong southern women.--Tracy Babiasz Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
