HAVEN

A traumatized girl and her mother learn to heal when they find a supportive new community in Biel’s middle-grade novel.

Mardella and her mother are starting a new life, moving to Haven, Minnesota, from the Chicago area after a tumultuous year. Mardella is happy to leave fifth grade and all the events that made her an outcast behind, but the Rest Haven Senior Living facility, where Mardella’s mom has been hired as a director, doesn’t make a promising first impression: “Nothing in here had a hint of color either—just like the hallway and the outside of the building, the apartment was either dark brown or tan—walls, carpets, doors, furniture, cupboards.” But when Mardella’s mom assigns her the project of beautifying the building for all its residents, Mardella begins to make connections with the people at Rest Haven. These include Mrs. Loftus, with her three-pronged cane and melodious laugh; Mr. Henry, whose workshop holds a treasury of paint supplies; and Ginger, a depressed high school student who feels like she’s just as much of an outcast as Mardella. As the girls plant flowers outside the building and paint a mural in the common area, Mardella begins to open up, even trusting Ginger with her family’s secret—a threat that returns when her abusive father is released from jail. Biel doesn’t reveal Mardella’s situation immediately; she effectively parses out the backstory a bit at a time as Mardella tries to dodge her bad memories. The girl’s very real anxiety around raised voices and sudden physical contact—such as when a resident with Alzheimer’s grabs her arm—are authentically depicted. Readers learn more as Mardella reveals her story to her friends, confessing her fears that her family’s whole situation is her fault. Biel delves into those deep emotions with honesty and compassion, and shows the power that friendship and found-family have in providing the support and courage needed to move beyond both fear and guilt. Occasional digital grayscale illustrations credited to AM Design Studios enhance the story’s atmosphere.

This heartfelt, realistic novel for middle-school readers handles a serious topic with care.