Ten lessons have students research the South Carolina setting, explore the influence of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, evaluate characters' behavior and motivation, trace a recurring motif, and recognize the use of imagery and figurative language. They also keep a reader-response journal, support opinions with textual evidence, make predictions, and create a soundtrack that reflects the plot, setting, and theme of the novel. Grades 9-12. (CFL667)
Loved this, wonderfully affirming of community and feminine spiritual/divine images as well as just some good plain humor. Lots of lines I pull from this book every so often. Didn't like her 2nd book Mermaid Chair though
Good story of a girl who comes to grips with some issues in her life, learns some things about herself, and helps the reader understand a bit about what the civil rights era was like. Not my favorite genre of book, but I enjoyed it and read it quickly.
I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did when I first started reading it. It is a sweet (no pun intended) and enjoyable story, though, and I was moved by the sentiments of a hurting girl and relieved when the girl finds love in the most unlikely of places.