FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE

Ivy June, an Appalachian coal miner's daughter, and Catherine, a member of the Lexington horse set, meet and share families through a school exchange program. Narrator Karen White could have gone with the obvious and given Ivy June a heavy drawl and Catherine a posh tone. Instead White follows the author's lead, using subtly distinct voices to concentrate on the similarities of two girls who both experience culture shock, school woes, and family hardships. This familiar plot gets a boost from White's depictions of the Appalachian characters. When Ivy June's grandfather is trapped in a mining accident, she explains to Catherine that he's OK because he can listen to the mountain. White makes us believe we can hear it, too. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]