THE PENNY

When Jenny Blake picks up "the penny" from the hot St. Louis pavement one summer in the 1950s, she unknowingly sparks a chain of significant events. This coming-of-age novel, often painful to hear as it recounts physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, redeems its characters as faith, and acts of faith, intervene. Secrets are elegantly woven into the story, and its inspirational theme begins to make itself felt with the introduction of the mysterious Miss Shaw, a teacher of love and hope. Emily Janice Card's eloquent pacing, combined with her youthful pitch, depicts Jenny's plight and the penny's ripple effect. One clearly hears Jenny's smiles and humor in Card's bright delivery. A.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2008]