Morning in a Different PlaceAges: 14–17 Grades: 9–12 Pages: 176 List Price: 17.95 Cover: Hardcover Published: 2/1/2009 ISBN: 1-59078-551-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-551-5 |
Fiona is a child of Irish immigrants; Yolanda is black. Compelled by financial hardship and concern about her daughter, Fiona’s mother has reunited with her husband, who struggles with alcoholism and the violence it triggers in him. Their new life offers Fiona the hope of normalcy and of finally being accepted by her peers. But her friendship with Yolanda is not something her new friends will tolerate, and so Fiona deceives both Yolanda and herself as she tries to make a life. When she realizes that her father is drinking again and her mother is in danger, Fiona sees that the price of acceptance—her mother’s safety and her friendship with Yolanda—is one she refuses pay. As she comes to see what is truly worth having, Fiona makes a plan to protect her mother and finds the courage to defend her friendship with Yolanda. Awards
Reviews"McGuigan is as adept at evoking the class consciousness and racial politics of '60s New York as she is the horrors of adolescence, including insecurity and helplessness. With the twin evils of domestic violence and President Kennedy's assassination looming in the background, the author's portrait of the chameleonic nature of teenage girls builds aggressively to a powerful finale." "McGuigan’s writing is spare and low-key, and her metaphors are acute: ‘When you’re not wanted somewhere,’ she writes, ‘the feeling fills the place like a smell.’ History buffs will appreciate the visceral reminder of how much Kennedy’s beliefs meant to the black community, and how devastating was his death." "McGuigan has created rich characters and tackles several uncomfortable social issues. ... [T]he novel offers insight into a turbulent era." |
