Saturday, May 17, 2008

the girl who stopped swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

This is the first book I have read by Joshilyn Jackson. Her novels are set in the south and this one revolves around family. The Hawthorne family may seem normal from the outside: They live in a suburban housing development, the dad, David, works as a computer programmer, the mom, Laurel, makes quilts, and they have young teenage daughter named Shelby. When a tragedy occurs at their house, the past, Laurel’s, her sister’s, and her mother’s, becomes important.

The book made me think about some interesting questions having to do with families. Are there situations or families where a sibling knows you better than your husband? If you have a good relationship with a family member because of something they did in the past, what happens when you find out that isn’t true? If your daughter is in trouble, do you confront her and question her or let her go? Laurel faces all these issues as they try to find out what happened to the girl who stopped swimming in their very own backyard.

The book is a fast, enthralling read, and a great book to take on vacation with you. I think I will have to go back and read her previous book gods in Alabama.

1 comment:

Kali said...

Gods in Alabama is 10 times better than the Girl Who stopped Swimming. You'll really enjoy it. I read GIA first and was disappointed when I read The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. Also check out her other book, "Between, Goergia." That's a good one too. I can't wait until she puts out another book.