Review Detail

Lenore Skomal's novel, "Third Willow" is a thought provoking tale of the bonds of friendship of pre-adolescents Patsy, Hap, Beah and Raz. It takes place in the mid 1950s in a small Nebraska town during an oppressively hot summer. Each child is dealing with his or her own very real major issue at home and finds escape and a shared camaraderie with the other misunderstood kids under the shade of the willows on the outskirts of town. Ms. Skomal does a remarkable job of character development of the children. She delves into their innermost thoughts with the skill of a brain surgeon. Their musings were presented as very real and believable. But as with many friendships, sometimes they must undergo a test. Such is the case here. And it's a doozy! Will the bond that these pre-teens forged be strong enough to withstand a major blow at such an uncertain age? It's a blow that even the oldest and best of friends would be hard pressed to survive. You WILL want to read this book to find out.
As a side note, I found it fascinating that so many topics that we see and hear about in the news today were interwoven into the plot of a novel set in the 1950s, making this a relevant read for the 21st century. Mental illness, same sex couples, alcoholism, gun violence, religious intolerance - just to name a few.
I loved the vivid descriptions of the era! I wasn't alive in the 1950s, but with Ms. Skomal's "portrait with words" I felt like I had time traveled.
In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this well written, thought provoking and sensitive book and I would highly recommend it to my friends.