Whistling in the Dark

Told from the point of view of 10 year old Sally O'Malley, this story is a brilliant mix of living history (I didn't live in the 50's, but I felt like I did, reading this), thriller (there's a child murderer on the loose in the streets), and simple drama. At points, I was convinced, like sally, of who the murderer was, simply because of the evidence Sally had that no one else would see or understand. Her black and white vision of the world is often at odds with what I understand must have been going on, but because of the way the story is told, I saw through her eyes. Sally is a great character whose true heart shines through the whole book. Though there are great hardships in her life, she sticks with her sisters and sees through to the end. Supporting characters like Nell, the older sister who is to care for her siblings but spends more time "exercising" with her boyfriend, Hall, the abhorrent stepfather, and the rest of the cast really pull the story along. And the background plot keeps it moving. A great read! (*)>

Told from the perspective of a young girl, Sally O' Malley, this is the kind of summer read that can change your life - or make you remember a world you used to know, if you grew up during the 50s. From start to finish, I was completely enthralled. Sally is a totally believable child and she has a combination of innocence, kindness and common sense that is unique. She also has great intuition, which eventually lets her sense when true danger is around (although she takes a few wrong turns along the way). I don't know how to best categorize this book - is it the tale of two sisters who learn to turn to each other when crisis strikes? Is it a suspenseful murder mystery? There is certainly great danger, in the form of a child murderer, true evil in a world full of 50s nostalgia, standing out even more against the contrast of simpler times, long summers and kind neighbors. To add to the drama, Sally and her sister, Troo, are nearly on their own for the summer, while their mother recuperates from a long illness. Yes, sister Nell is supposedly in charge, but she is far more preoccupied with her boyfriend and other distractions to do a proper job. SO Troo and Sally have to depend on each other. They have intensely different personalities but an equally strong bond. Don't ignore the Conversation Guide by author Leslie Kagen, at the back of the book. It offers insight into how she actually wrote this novel, not something she had a great deal of confidence in actually completing. She came up with a superb, heartwarming work, full of heart, suspense and a master's touch at evoking time and place.

"Whistling in the Dark" is an endearing tale about the "O'Malley sisters," Sally and Troo, 10 and 9 years of age, and their summer chalked full of turmoil and suspense. Their mother becomes gravely ill leaving them to be tended by a drunken stepfather, a disinterested older sister, and a neighborhood full of delicous, eccentric characters. Set in 1959, the book remembers days of lazy summers filled with "red rover," "green light, red light," and playground antics. Though seemingly the era of innocence, darkness hides in the shadows, and Sally and Troo stumble upon it in it's most dangerous form. Thankfully, the O'Malley's have enough family and neighbors in their arsenal to allow this book to be enlightening, humorous, and charming, as well as intense. Ms. Kagan has the ability to make the reader experience belly laughter, jitters, tingling fear, and sentimental sadness. Descriptions and dialogue are colloquial, while the plotline turns the pages for you. Gift yourself to this summer treat.....you won't regret it.

Set in 1959, WHISTLING IN THE DARK follows two tough little girls through an ominous summer. Their mother is in the hospital fighting for her life, their step-father has abandoned them for booze and another woman, and their older sister is too wrapped up in her boyfriend to tend to them. So it's the O'Malley girls alone--imaginative Sally, and sassy Troo, the little sister Sally promised her dead father she'd keep safe--running wild on Vliet Street, a neighborhood filled with colorful characters, and, at least one very dark individual who has molested and murdered two little girls. Sally is convinced she's going to be his third victim. This wonderful book is told in a voice that will tug at your heart, and a plot that will keep your mind engaged until the last page. Yes, the plot is grave, but Kagen manages to weave enough wit and warmth into this story to make it a thoroughly uplifting read. I absolutely adored this book, and have placed Lesley Kagen at the top of my list of favorite contemporary writers. Sandra Kring author CARRY ME HOME and THE BOOK OF BRIGHT IDEAS