The Silver Compass

I want to start out by saying I love Holly Kennedy, and her writing is wonderful. I thought this book was good, but not up to par with "The Penny Tree", which I loved. The story is good and I felt Ellis's pain at the loss of her husband. I also enjoyed the story of the nursing home. The part that bothered me was, not too much went into the relationship between Ellis and her mother. I still had questions about her father. It is a good read, just not up to my favorite, "The Penny Tree".

I was eagerly waiting for Holly Kennedy's third book. I loved The Tin Box and The Penny Tree so much. The Silver Compass came in the mail yesterday afternoon and I just opened it up to glance inside. Four hours later I was still reading and my husband had to order take out Chinese because I was NOT GOING TO STOP to cook dinner! What a wonderful story. I am only disappointed that I now have to wait for Ms. Kennedy's next book. Hurry up and write it Ms. Kennedy! Like Holly Kennedy's other book this would be an excellent book club choice.

In Barrow, Montana seventeen year old Ellis Williams is pregnant and frightened; adding to her fears is her father tosses her out of his home. With no place to go, Ellis decides to jump off a bridge. Ten seconds is all that it took for her to almost land on Louie Johnson. He saves her life when he pulls her from the river and though she knows he wishes he was not here with her, he persuades her to go on living by telling her a lie and giving her THE SILVER COMPASS as an anchor. Fifteen years later, widow Ellis returns to her Montana hometown with her troubled daughter Hadley as both struggle to cope with the death of the man in their lives Mark. Ellis sees Louie who is estranged from his adult daughter Arla. At about the same time, her father, who deserted her and her mom Paullina when they needed him most, has also come home. However, though he wants second chances as he regrets his errors, he doubts his ex-wife, his daughter and the granddaughter he never met will give him a chance for redemption as Dennis needs to become THE SILVER COMPASS for the three women in his life. This is an appealing family drama that grips the audience as the key cast members struggle with relationships past and present because each fears opening up and communicating their biggest fears to their loved ones. Any book that can turn Christopher Robin into a Dr. Ruth advising Winnie has to be incredibly poignant. Fans will appreciate this deep character study and no one will have dried eyes with the ending as the Big Lie is passed on. Harriet Klausner