THE ROAD TO PARIS

For Paris, the concept of home is not a simple one. Does it involve her birth mother, Viola, and her brother, Malcolm? Does it include her grandmother, who harbors the siblings and then returns them to the foster care network? Does it include her foster family, the Lincolns? Is home a place, or does it abide within a person? Paris's anguish as she endures pitch-black bedrooms and unresolved memories is palpable. Myra Taylor's character palette is rich. Mrs. Lincoln sounds matter-of-fact; the psychologist, condescending; brother Malcolm, fierce in his protection of Paris; stepbrothers, sympathetic; and new friend Ashley, solicitous. Taylor differentiates the various components of Paris's personality in a way that emphasizes the complexity of this young girl's life. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]