This juvenile title won me over the first read through and so I used it for a mother/daughter book group. It proved just as engaging the second time around. Tender, off-beat, poignant, just barely believable, the plot and characters examine what it means to discover who you really are. ( )

Light hearted, heart warming and joyful

A nicely written story, the characters are unusual but easy to relate with. Born to a mentally unstable mother, a twelve year old comes of age in order to discover her origin. Bold, fearless and lucky, she proves to be a force to contend with. Light reading, this is the kind of story that brings the reader joy, a quality more authors should embrace! ( )

2.5 Stars ( )

Kid's book that we listened to in the car. Sweet story about a 12 year old girl named Heidi and her very unconventional family: Her mama who has a "bum brain" and a total of 18 words in her vocabulary and Bernie (Bernadette) her agoraphobic next door neighbor. Told from Heidi's point of view, the story is a touching coming of age tale and a search for identity. Prior to age 12, Heidi doesn't think much about her unusual set-up and she naturally does things that are a bit beyond most kids her age: grocery shop, laundrymat, etc. She is home-schooled by Bernie with lots of help from the library, but her world is so insular, she doesn't think twice about it. However, when Heidi finds a roll of undeveloped film in a camera stuffed at the back of a drawer and then views the pictures of her mother and a location she has no knowledge of, coupled with the mysterious word "souf" that is one of her Mother's few known words, Heidi goes on a physical journey across the country and a figurative one of self-discovery. The author handles very complex controversial issues with kid gloves so the result is a heartwarming story of love and realization. ( )

??? I didnt get this book at all. ( )