This coming-of-age book, which is told in the first person from the point of view of 15-year-old Thea Atwell during the first years of the Depression, is a captivating read. Born and raised in Florida on a remote, 1,000-acre citrus grove, Thea and her twin brother, Sam,
…more have the run of the place. Thea is an avid horse rider. Sam loves nature. They grow up in an isolated world, but filled with the love of their parents, an aunt and uncle and their cousin, Georgie.
Then Thea disgraces and shames her family, so they send her away to North Carolina to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for girls, a respite for young Southern girls. Author Anton DiSclafani expertly tells this tale in the past (in Florida) and the present (the camp), seamlessly weaving the two back and forth. We don't find out what Thea did to deserve to be fully shunned by her family until well into the book, making it a juicy page-turner.
Thea is a complicated character. While some may dislike her, I found her fascinating as she attempts to figure out who she is and how she wants to live her life. She is fiercely independent during a time when this was perceived to be a character flaw in a young woman. But she is also selfish and caught up in a scandalous life of her own making. The subsequent secrets she must keep isolate her more fully and with more emotional pain than any shunning could do. Highly recommended! (less)