Little girl, 8 years old, desperate to leave her present situation with her Mom and live-in boyfriend. Roy is violent and beats Mom on occassion. Tells Mom to leave Roy and Mom does, after one other beating. Having no where to go and no money to speak of the leave in their old junk car and head out before Roy knows they are gone. After many hours and car problems and running out of cash a nice guy on a motorcycle picks them up and takes them to his house. Later the next day they get on a bus and the Mom decides to take them to her father-in-law and to a life that the girl did not know existed. She will find out about her father and about what it takes to make an unforgiving old man decide to let the girl and her mom live on his ranch. It is her first real home and many trials come and someone get killed and the boyfriends goes after them. The little girl will be able to win her grandpa's love and find out what happened to her father who died at 21.
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The review of this Book prepared by karen mcmillian
Knopf, Sep 2004, 23.00, 257 pp.
ISBN: 1400042011
Ten years have passed since Griffin Gilkyson died in an accident at the age of twenty-one. His “An unfinished life", as etched on his gravestone, has impacted everyone who loved him. His wife Jean has leaped in and out of the beds of four abusive human males since she lost her spouse. His daughter Griff never knew him as she is only nine and a half. His father Einar blames his daughter-in-law for Griffin's death, has never met his granddaughter, and wants to die but not before Jean is dead. Finally his best friend, Korean War buddy Mitch would not have been nearly killed by a bear.
Living in a trailer with a nasty SOB, Jean worries about Griff and decides she needs to regain control of her life. Her only hope is for her and her daughter to buy time at Einar's home in Ishawooa, Wyoming though she knows her in-law detests her. She believes it is time for Griff and Einar to meet and for everyone to move on though keep the fond memories of the beloved link that ties all of them together. However, can Einar forgive even though he desperately wants to hug his granddaughter, Griffin's only meaningful memory?
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
