Trusting the Currents

Pollio taps into the hardships of the rural South during the 1930s in this gripping, lyrical story about a young girl coming of age in a region full of prejudice and exploitation. Twelve-year old Addie Mae and her informally adopted sister, Jenny, are thick as thieves on their unnamed country farmhouse. Mama watches over the two girls, who are constantly getting in trouble—sometimes of their own doing, but often the curious girls are unsuspecting bystanders to local tragedies. As Mama becomes more concerned with finding a husband, and Uncle Jo lazily drinking his days away on the farm, Addie begins to explore recent events of child kidnappings. In the prologue, Pollio explains how Addie’s voice came to her after the death of her father, imploring the author to relay her story. Readers may find Pollio’s explanation a bit eccentric, but the simple, affecting tale of Addie’s life is engrossing. Religion, culture, and family blend together seamlessly in this haunting and refreshing story. (BookLife)