PARADISE LANE

The day that Rosie Perkins finds a motherless baby possum by the side of the road is the beginning of a change in her relationship with Michael Geraghty--and the beginning of a change in the course of her life. Michael, previously just one of the many students who has taunted the outcast Rosie, takes an interest in her that mystifies even himself. No one likes her. She lives isolated, with her alcoholic mother and strangely possessive father. And Rosie is surely distrustful of Michael. But as their friendship grows, and as Rosie nurtures the possum, she begins to wonder whether she couldn't change other things, too--such as her relationship with her mother. Rosie begins to question her life and herself, even as she is drawn into the bewildering comfort of Michael's boisterous family. Finally, the many forces in Rosie's tumultuous life clash painfully; only then can she and those who care about her begin to set things to rights. Taylor's newest is a stunning portrait of a determined, intelligent girl daring to try to effect change in her bruised family. The lyrical account of Rosie's growth and Michael's dawning realization of his own potential is riveting--and unforgettable.