READ: Review, White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner (Waterbrook, 2009)

Sometimes our deepest family secrets are the ones we refuse to acknowledge. Sixteen-year-old Tally Bachmann forces more than one issue when a sudden death and an absentee father thrust her into a new environment. Her sudden encounter with what appears to be the perfect suburban life of the Janvier family (her San Diego aunt, uncle, and cousins) exposes her own wounds. But it also brings to the surface the hidden hurts of her new family members as they struggle to relate to one another and to a girl they barely know. Powerful storytelling draws us in. Believable characters keep us reading. Layers of intrigue—including an unusual link to the Holocaust—add depth. And an underlying theme of redemption provides needed impetus to look behind our own white picket fences and seek relational transparency. Bravo to this award-winning author and White Picket Fences for another thoughtful...

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