Pearl Spence is finally getting used to life in Michigan. She's made her peace with the piles of snow that come with winter. She and Ray are making friends and figuring out how to fit in. Pearl has even discovered the library, a place she'd never heard of back in Dust Bowl Oklahoma. In fact, a chair in the stacks, surrounded by books, might be her new favorite place on earth - until she discovers swing dancing.
Now Opal Moon, the family's hired help and an expert in swing, is teaching Pearl the steps to this new style of dance. The sheer fun of the moves and music is a distraction from the fact that Mama is still missing, too caught up in her own grieving to spare a thought for her family.
When Mama unexpectedly returns, it isn't a happy occasion. Pearl must decide between forgiveness and bitterness--and when calamity strikes again, there are no easy answers. Finkbeiner's portrayal of both tragedy and everyday life in times of great change is charged with a raw beauty that will haunt the reader. Fans of the two prior Pearl Spence novels won't be disappointed!
