An Inmate's Daughter

There are very few books written for or about the hundreds of thousands of children with incarcerated parents. This book's story line catches the interest of any reader, child or adult, from the first and carries it through to the end. The theme of hiding an incarcerated Dad from those outside the family rings very true to me who has spent years working with children of prisoners. School and public libraries SHOULD have this book in their collection.

Jan Walker and Raven Publishing, Inc. have partnered in their mutual mission of using fiction to address contemporary issues faced by preteens and teens. "An Inmate's Daughter" is an effort to increase awareness of the daily struggles faced by children who have a parent in prison. The story revolves around thirteen year old Jenna, whose father is in prison for murder. Jenna found herself without friends after a move to live with her grandparents. The stigma of her father's imprisonment, and her mother's firm rule about keeping this fact within the family left her feeling insecure about making friends. Jenna whose heritage is half Native American is also confronted with Bi-Racial bigotry. Jenna uses her journal as a means of sorting out her feelings. On an extended family visitation to the McNeil Island prison facility to see her father, Jenna saves the life of a young child in a near drowning incident. News coverage of the incident becomes a threat to Jenna's mother. She fears that their identity and family secret will be exposed. Jenna is faced with the question of what will happen to her "evaluation" if members of her secret club find out about her father's incarceration. Jan Walker intricately and expertly weaves a plot around club acceptance, a soccer team, the strength of family, and the measure of true friendship in this heart rending, true to life, fast paced narrative. The pen and ink illustrations of Herb Leonhard make you feel the emotions of the dialog. Jenna is faced with the choice of living a lie, the possibility of bringing hurt and shame to her mother and younger brother, or the freedom of truth. This is an excellent book for the young reader, grades five through eight. It is an important resource for classroom teachers, child counselors, ministers, and prison personnel who are exposed to children with an incarcerated parent.

This story tells about thirteen-year old Jenna MacDonald, whose father is in prison for murder. Mom's "don't tell" rule requires that Jenna and her brother fabricate stories about their dad. There are more than two million children in the US that are in this same predicament. They have an incarcerated parent, and are suffering from isolation and the pain of being ostracised by their peers. These children need help to cope with the problems they encounter, but few receive this assistance. Jan Walker tackles the problem head-on in this book. Jenna, her brother, and her mother have moved in with grandparents to live closer to McNeil Island where her father is incarcerated. Being half Native American contributes to Jenna's difficulty in trying to make new friends. During a visit to the prison Jenna dives into the water to rescue a small girl when she falls off the dock at the prison. When the Department of Corrections investigates the accident, the publicity threatens to expose the story of Jenna's dad to all her new friends at school. Jenna's mother is upset because her actions have called attention to their family, and now Jenna questions her own decision in rescuing the drowning child. "Why did I do such a dumb thing?" Jenna longs for a friend that she can talk to about her feelings, but when she tries to join one of the racially-mixed "in" groups, they ask questions about her family, bringing the tensions between Jenna's need for acceptance and her mother's desire for secrecy to a head. Jan Walker's plotting and characterization skills are exceptional. You can really feel Jenna's isolation and pain. This book would be a great addition to your children's library and a wonderful family night conversation starter to help promote tolerance and acceptance in your children.

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (2/06) Jenna MacDonald didn't mean to do anything wrong when she plunged into Puget Sound to save a little girl from drowning. She just reacted on instinct. She had been rescuing her rather hyper younger brother in their neighborhood swimming pool for years without her mother knowing. But Jenna's mother is upset because her actions have called attention to their family. The rescue occurred at McNeil Island boat dock during a visit to Jenna's father who is serving time in prison. Now, the paper wants to run a story and the McNeil Island Corrections Center wants to investigate how it happened. When her dad was transferred to this site, Jenna's family moved, too. Now they live with her grandparents and Jenna is adjusting to a new school. She feels confused by her mother's anger and insistence that they keep her dad's situation private. Jenna wants to talk to someone about it. She wants to feel like she belongs to a whole family. Jenna's grandparents encourage her to make friends and to enjoy life. But junior high is tough and Jenna, who is half Native American, struggles to find her niche. When she tries to join one of the racially-mixed "in" groups, they ask questions about her family bringing the tensions between Jenna's need for acceptance and her mother's desire for secrecy to a head. More than two million American children wrestle with the stigma of an incarcerated parent. Few of these children receive the assistance they need to cope with their situation. Walker's book takes on a tough topic. Her book informs and encourages young adult readers so they can support their peers.