The Silver Compass-Holly Kennedy

The Silver Compass
Holly Kennedy
NAL, Apr 2008, $14.00
ISBN: 9780451223128

In Barrow, Montana seventeen year old Ellis Williams is pregnant and frightened; adding to her fears is her father tosses her out of his home. With no place to go, Ellis decides to jump off a bridge. Ten seconds is all that it took for her to almost land on Louie Johnson. He saves her life when he pulls her from the river and though she knows he wishes he was not here with her, he persuades her to go on living by telling her a lie and giving her THE SILVER COMPASS as an anchor.

Fifteen years later, widow Ellis returns to her Montana hometown with her troubled daughter Hadley as both struggle to cope with the death of the man in their lives Mark. Ellis sees Louie who is estranged from his adult daughter Arla. At about the same time, her father, who deserted her and her mom Paullina when they needed him most, has also come home. However, though he wants second chances as he regrets his errors, he doubts his ex-wife, his daughter and the granddaughter he never met will give him a chance for redemption as Dennis needs to become THE SILVER COMPASS for the three women in his life.

This is an appealing family drama that grips the audience as the key cast members struggle with relationships past and present because each fears opening up and communicating their biggest fears to their loved ones. Any book that can turn Christopher Robin into a Dr. Ruth advising Winnie has to be incredibly poignant. Fans will appreciate this deep character study and no one will have dried eyes with the ending as the Big Lie is passed on.

Harriet Klausner