I Hear Mourning Dove CL

In the tradition of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden , this engrossing first novel invites readers to enter the imagination of an emotionally disturbed girl and trace the slow, difficult process of her healing. When Grace is released from the hospital after a suicide attempt, she feels disoriented and afraid. The people she encounters in her new town and high school seem to speak through static; much clearer is the internal voice that Grace associates with the father she has recently lost. Despite her confusion and bouts of depression, Grace begins to readjust to the outside world, but a violent incident involving a group of cruel teenagers causes enormous setbacks. With the help of a skilled psychiatrist, a loyal friend and a rebellious young man named Luke, Grace finally dares to step out of her shell to confront painful realities. With tenderness and remarkable insight, Bennett identifies the causes and effects of Grace's suffering and reveals her intricate system of defenses. Pat answers are not given to the narrator's complicated problems, yet the progress she makes in dealing with old conflicts and new challenges is clearly indicated at the story's touching conclusion. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)