"Eleven-year-old Clara winter (she prefers the lowercase, and she has her reasons) is struggling to find the truth about her missing father and her twin sister, but her mother refuses to reveal any information.When Clara begins interviewing her elderly neighbor Georg Kominsky for a school assignment she finds that he, too, is reticent about his concealed history.Precocious and imaginative, Clara invents Mr. Kominsky's history just as she invents lives for the people missing from her own shadowy past; together this unlikely pair embark on a journey of discovery, in this beautifully told story of family and friendship."

Nice story in the great setting of the Adirondack Mountains (very exotic to me). Very touching characters.

This is going to CynthiaA as part of the First sentences virtual book bokbox. Hope you enjoy it!

Arrived today, KanaPoutz, thank you so much! I look forward to it, it looks exactly like the kind of book I would enjoy!

Curious and precocious, eleven year old Clara forms an unlikely friendship with an old man who lives in a nearby trailer park. In doing so, she learns a little about him and his past and ultimately, a lot more about herself and her own story. Clara is a magnificent fictional character, full of spunk and so very bright. Her observations are a wonderful combination of 11-year-old naïveté and thoughtful inquisitiveness (bordering on meddlesome) about the people around her. Her fascination with words appealed to me. I too think a lot about the way a word sounds.

This is a charming, poignant and thoughtful book, sad in places but never depressing, thought-provoking and beautifully crafted. Themes of love, regret and forgiveness weave together in this easy-to-read tale. Highly recommended.

I gave this book to my friend Denise, who will read and then leave it on the book exchange shelf in the restaurant where she works.


Welcome to Bookcrossing. Thank you for catching this book! I hope you enjoy it and will consider exploring this site and possibly joining. It's free and loads of fun, as you can track your released books in their travels, possibly all over the world! Please let us know that you've found the book, what you thought of it and if possible, where you might re-release it when you're done so it can continue its journey. Reading it is not required, though is encouraged. You may remain anonymous, but if you choose to join up I hope you will consider using me, CynthiaA, as the one who referred you.