Reviews Young Readers Reviews Editions , #83 Spring 2017 ,
Laura Best’s Ghosts of the Past Confronted
At last, Cammie Turple’s dream has come true. She has left her tumultuous life with Aunt Millie, the local bootlegger in their small town of Tanner, Nova Scotia, to attend the Halifax School for the Blind. Excited about this chance to make a fresh start, Cammie soon discovers that it’s not that easy to forget about the past.
First of all, there is her secret plan to track down the mother who abandoned her as a baby. Then Aunt Millie calls her with the surprising news that Ed, her father, is planning to get married and wants to adopt her. More shocking still is the fact that Aunt Millie doesn’t want him to.
As she tries to make some sense of these various aspects of her life, Cammie writes long letters to her best friend Evelyn back home in Tanner and looks forward to the day when she will see him in person. But will things with Evelyn ever be the same again?
In this touching sequel to Flying With a Broken Wing, author Laura Best continues Cammie’s story, this time focusing more on her search for identity and her quest to confront the ghosts of her past. Cammie is convinced that she needs to find her mother and demand answers from her. But what she ultimately learns gives Cammie, and readers, much to ponder about family and forgiveness.
Set at the Halifax School for the Blind, the author captures a strong sense of the post Second World War era and vividly depicts the atmosphere of the boarding school setting. While Cammie expected that all the girls would be instant friends, united by their shared disability, she soon discovers that a school for the blind is no different from any other school with its mixture of personalities and petty rivalries.
However, she also comes to realize that perhaps she herself can be quick to judge and that sometimes you have to take a chance and accept the friendship being offered. A moving story that holds multiple surprises for Cammie and for readers.
Cammie Takes Flight
Laura Best
Nimbus Publishing
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