Everyone in Coal Station, Virginia, has a theory about what happened to Belle Prater, but twelve-year-old Gypsy wants the facts, and when her cousin Woodrow, Aunt Belle’s son moves next door, she has her chance. Woodrow isn’t as forthcoming as Gypsy hopes, yet he becomes more than just a curiosity to her—during their sixth-grade year she finds that they have enough in common to be best friends. Even so, Gypsy is puzzled by Woodrow’s calm acceptance of his mother’s disappearance, especially since she herself has never gotten over her father’s death. When Woodrow finally reveals that he’s been keeping a secret about his mother, Gypsy begins to understand that there are different ways of finding the strength to face the truth, no matter how painful it is.
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"White gives her protagonists the courage to face tragedy and transcend it—and the ability to pass along that gift to the reader."
— Publishers Weekly, Starred
White paints a vivid picture of small-town Appalachia in the 1950s. . . . Characterization is superb.
— School Library Journal, StarredRuth White creates a satisfying feeling of community. . . . An admirable, stirring book.
— The New York Times Book ReviewBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Ruth White is the author of Sweet Creek Holler, an ALA Notable Book; Weeping Willow, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Belle Prater’s Boy, a Newbery Honor Book.
Alison Elliott is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actress, who is best known for her roles in feature films such as Underneath, The Spitfire Grill, The Wings of the Dove, and Birth.