August 14, 2023
In this character-focused sequel to Pine Island Home by Horvath, the orphaned McCready sisters have just begun adjusting to their life on British Columbia’s Pine Island with new guardian Al. Al mostly leaves Charlie, Fiona, Marlin, and Natasha to their own devices, and while the girls enjoy their independence and newfound security, each longs to move on from their past and build bright futures. Fifteen-year-old Fiona seeks to make things right with a boy she stood up the previous year; Marlin, 13, strives to become a published cookbook author; Natasha, 10, endeavors to learn how to play violin; and youngest child Charlie, eight, determinedly advocates for a dog. When the siblings’ first guardian, Mrs. Witherspoon, along with her bossy, ill-tempered childhood friend Jo, arrive for a three-month visit, the sisters struggle to navigate this change. Frequent clashes between Jo and the girls, especially after Jo and Mrs. Witherspoon extend their stay to start a church, prompt the McCready clan to drive out their unwanted guests. Through steady, sober prose and the protagonists’ complex relationships, Horvath creates successfully strained situations, giving way to gratifying resolutions that offer a comforting reassurance that bad times don’t last forever. Ages 9–12.