OVER THE RIVER

In her debut novel, Moranville adroitly parallels the changes occurring in post-WWII rural America with more personal disruptions affecting Willa Mae, the narrator who turns 12 during the course of the book. The first scene, set in a cemetery, introduces three compelling mysteries: the cause of death of Willa Mae's mother and infant son (whom Willa Mae can't recall ever being born) and uncertainty about why Willa Mae's guardian grandparents hold such a grudge against her long-absent father. Although the narrative occasionally moves awkwardly from one dramatic turn of events to another (e.g., Willa Mae's father suddenly returns from the navy and whisks his daughter off to Oklahoma), the author creates a palpable sense of place. Readers enter the rhythms of life on Willa Mae's grandparents' farm and can nearly smell a pie baking in the oven or hear Grandpa milking the cows. Willa Mae describes crossing the Mississippi River in a way that youngsters can experience her thrill. At last, truths about the past come to light, unfortunately leading to a rather contrived resolution. Implications behind her mother's second pregnancy and sudden death may sail over the heads of middle-grade readers. Still, Willa Mae's loyalty and affection for her grandparents and teenage Aunt Rose communicate her sense of homesickness while she is on the road with her father, and her feelings for her father remain credibly ambiguous during and after her trip West. The narrator's strong, appealing voice and detailed setting mark this author as one to watch. Ages 9-14. (Oct.)