Trouble

Okay, I will say, this is another one of the books-chosen-by-Mom, which means I pretty much had no idea what the book would be about, if I would like it, or why it was in my collection. I sometimes wonder why I read these books, they are often so much not what I normally read. Exposure to the things you don't normally read is a good thing, expands the mind.

That all said, I completely and totally rolled my eyes when a dog showed up in the story. I seriously thought this was going to be another "Old Yeller" (which I have never read) "Where the Red Fern Grows" (which I have read a dozen times, it remains one of my favorite books) boy-has-dog-dog-dies-in-the-end book.

I was wrong.

This is a book about prejudices and anger, about hope and love, about anger and acceptance. Which is to say, it was completely not what I expected it to be.

The book opens with all-star American golden boy Franklin's accident that lands him in the hospital. A Cambodian student from Franklin's prep school is charged with manslaughter. He admits to hitting Franklin. He tried to help Franklin after the accident. He accepts the law and it's punishment.

The rest of the book is about prejudices of a people agains outsiders, about younger sons proving themselves against the memory of an older brother, about secrets revealed, and a world coming full circle.

It's a quick read. While not my style, and it isn't destined to become a literary classic, it's a cute book. Was fun to read.