The September Sisters

Jillian Cantor's The September Sisters has been a great read this weekend. (It's too bad that I have so many in my stack that I actually waited until I got the reminder from the public library that this one is due on Tuesday).
Abigail narrates the story sharing the events that unfolded in her life after her sister Becky went missing. While the two sisters were just two years and a day apart in their birthdays, they were not exceptionally close, experiencing typical sibling rivalry between two girls. Their family, however, seemed happy and normal. After Becky is missing one morning (having disappeared during the night) life is never the same. Their mother withdraws into herself, rarely getting out ot bed. Abigail's father tries his hardest to carry on, but is unable to talk about what has happened or his feelings. And Abigail is left to try and cope with things herself. Her friends withdraw from her at school, not seeming to know what to say to her. And her parents do not want her to be alone, so hire an elderly neighbor lady to watch her after school. It is Mrs. Ramirez's grandson, Tommy, who arrives from Florida to live with his grandmother for a while, that is Abigail's first friend after Becky's disappearance.
Abigail is a character that I could easily identify with. My heart broke for her and her parents who were swallowed by grief. And, while the story does not have a happily ever after ending, it is real, and Abigail's ability to go on is inspiring.
This is a great debut novel, and I am looking forward to Cantor's next book, due out in February 2010.
Check out Jillian Cantor's website here.