Will You, Won't You?

Though not as psychologically involving or as subtly crafted as her Unbroken, Haas's contemporary novel will likely amuse readers as it educates them on the topical issue of backroom politics. When 13-year-old Madison (""Mad"") Parker heads to her grandmother's house in Vermont for the summer (while her mother is working in Washington, D.C.), she hopes some of the woman's confidence will rub off on her. Deemed ""the Chair"" (because she serves as chair of the Senate Finance Committee), her grandmother seems self-assured, principled and forthright--even as she finds herself in the middle of a dispute over clear-cut logging. Ironically, only when Mad discovers that her grandmother suffers moments of doubt does the heroine begin to take risks of her own. The author convincingly weaves together what at first seem disparate strands (Scottish dance lessons and showing horses) and introduces gutsy, wise women (Morag, the dance teacher; and Jane, who runs the stables in Mad's hometown). As the story unwinds, the heroine discovers some painful truths about the father she never knew, which the author balances with humor and insight. The conclusion wraps things up a bit quickly, but Haas offers no pat solutions; instead she allows readers to examine life's complexities. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)