Kirkus Reviews QR Code
UNDER THE PEAR TREE by Brenda Seabrooke

UNDER THE PEAR TREE

By

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 1997
Publisher: Cobblehill

In this sequel to Judy Scuppernong (1990), the language is simple in a narrative in free verse, but the emotions are genuine, powerful, and sweet. The narrator, Deanna, and her friends Lala and Stacy find the summer full of mystery: Deanna's teasing cousin, Rusty, and his hidden sorrows; their shell-shocked neighbor Joey and his new wife, Vivian, whom the girls find exotic but of whom their mothers disapprove; and the greatest mystery of all, boys. ""Who can explain them? . . . They don't even try--just do whatever they want and let the broken bits fall any old place."" Friends wander in and out, nylons and Flame Kiss lipstick become talismans, lovely images of light, wind, and the ever-present pear tree suffuse this gentle book. Readers will love it; those seeking to unlock the secrets of the female heart will find some nuggets here.