Schwartz (Send One Angel Down) draws on family stories for this uneven novel about a formidable widow, the daughter of Croatian immigrants, who struggles to raise her three children in Canadian mining towns between the world wars. The woman's daughter (both are named Frances) narrates the tale, which she begins from the womb, when her dying father directs her to anchor her grief-stricken mother to her two brothers: "I am the one who was sent. My father's messenger. He who could no longer stay, sent me instead. For his was the voice that told me early to go to her. To awaken her." The first section proves strongly atmospheric, with its evocations of communication between the living and the dead, the mother's battle between despair and survival, and distinctive Croatian customs and superstitions. Schwartz creates something of a narrative disconnect, however, in abandoning most of these strains early on and not picking up on them again until a climactic scene near the conclusion. While the author devotes her attention primarily to the mother and daughter, she develops them unequally: She compellingly presents Frances the mother's steely determination and work ethic, yet adopts a detached style for Frances the narrator ("the keeper of the stories"). The girl comes across as more of a lens than a character, which, unfortunately, diminishes her impact and undermines the storytelling. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)
