Finding Day's Bottom

Grade 4-6
After the death of her father in a sawmill accident, Jane-Ery, 11, passes through levels of grief so poignantly revealed that her voice sets a ragged emotional tone throughout. This tension, paired with a languorous pace, deepens the value of an authentically drawn backdrop that embodies stillness and reflection. The Virginia mountains are home and push Jane-Ery into a personal space where her memories prick her heart. They pour over her and then fade away, leaving an ache that she cannot escape. Her pain is balanced by her mothers contained grief and Grandpaps wisdom, kindness, and humor, characteristics reminiscent of her dad. Though her grandfathers folksy speech evokes her father, it both uplifts and uncovers the familys raw and slowly healing spirits. A novel full of insight and truth.