11-15) - Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP.
Replete with intriguing conflicts, lightened by Bridget's wayward libido and humorously rude relationship with xiii, this tale is reminiscent of Patrice Kindl's Owl in Love (1993) for its strong casting and vivid storytelling. Once she gives in, Bridget discovers to her astonishment that she's no longer an outsider, but a welcomed new member of a loving Wiccan circle. Thesman places her young protagonist squarely between two worlds: a nonmagical one filled with coldhearted, if not downright inimical, people, and another awhirl with spirits and wonders as Bridget becomes violent classmate's newest victim, discovers that no one will take seriously her claim that a young neighbor has been abandoned, and learns that the odd new student Althea and her parents, werefalcons stricken with a private grief, are in danger, the pressure to intervene with magic reaches an agonizing level, released at last in a soaring climax. Her Aunt Cait, another witch, begs her to accept her true nature, as does xiii (pronounced ``shhh''), her irascible supernatural guardian, who has also taken to uttering cryptic but increasingly urgent warnings. Bridget has tried hard since kindergarten to be ``normal,'' hiding the fact that she sees and hears things others cannot. The vocabulary in this book is about a 4th grade level, but some of the concepts surrounding the war are mid- to upper-level.In Thesman's latest story set in the Pacific Northwest, a child's stubborn efforts to suppress her witchly abilities nearly ends in tragedy. And her friends show that life goes on, people still fall in and out of love, and sometimes it's best to move on. Her brother expresses violent sentiments towards enemy countries. Her uncle preaches tolerance while working on government secret projects.
Molly is given the responsibilities of the household and shopping, difficult in a time of rationing. Her mother takes on a new job outside the home, enjoying independence for the first time. Her father's job increases hours at the factory and his drinking at home. Molly's family is representative of many of the sentiments and changes that occured in America as the war continued. I really enjoyed this book and the context it brings to everyday life during the war. Pieces of the book are told through journal entries and letters to her friend, a Japanese American who was sent to an American internment camp. Molly Donnelly is the tale of a teenage girl coming of age during World War 2.
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