Review Detail

'Third Willow' is true to life, the life of pre-teens in the '50s when I grew up, and yet true to life today in its universal themes. People are people and we don't change all that much. We still wrestle with the same issues, although the language of the time and place may vary. I could feel myself back in the times of my childhood, my mother's kitchen, my friends' lingo as we roamed the neighborhood unsupervised, the frustratingly illogical prejudices of the time, the mood of war weariness and fear of confronting mental illness. That kind of writing takes talent and Skomal has that in spades. Heroes emerge, leaders step out, some follow, some disappoint, life isn't fair. These are all worthy lessons for young readers. And Skomal's style immediately draws you in and engages you in the lives and minds of the main characters. She weaves an amazing variety of issues into a fairly simple yet very dramatic plot. You won't want to put the book down until you finish. When you finish you will still want more and you will be thinking about the book long after you have turned the last page.