SEPTEMBER WIND

A girl dreams of escaping her family’s stifling farm life in Janz-Anderson’s novel.

Emily Rezell, a 9-year-old in 1950, is the sole female in her Illinois household. Her mom died giving birth to her, and she has recently lost her beloved grandmother. Emily’s grandfather and uncles work on the family farm and expect her to do all of the cooking and cleaning. Getting away from the house to go to school is liberating, but her uncompromising grandfather doesn’t want her to attend. Emily finds ways to cope; she has a best friend in Haity St. Clair and later falls for an older boy. As life under her family’s thumb practically suffocates her, Emily looks for a more permanent means of escape. Years pass as Emily gets closer to an age when she can make it on her own. An old letter to her late mother provides the perfect opportunity to connect with someone far from the Midwest, but a surprisingly violent act may obliterate her plans. The author’s absorbing coming-of-age tale moves at a steady pace. Emily is a remarkable young hero, a hard worker who, though clearly unhappy, rarely complains. The small, motley supporting cast includes Emily’s wonderfully cheeky aunt, Francine; one somewhat sympathetic uncle, Steven; and the creepy live-in farmhand, Claude. The author’s eye for detail electrifies the seemingly mundane, from a simple breeze stirring up joyful memories to a bus ride blending such aromas as “orange peels, half-eaten apples,” and “musty luggage.” The novel’s final act takes a turn that could seriously affect Emily’s future, propelling readers to an ending that will surely leave them yearning for sequels.

Superlative characters immersed in a riveting melodrama of youthful self-discovery.