Clover is just ten years old when her beloved father dies, leaving her alone in their rural South Carolina town. Alone, that is, with her new white stepmother, who had married Clover's father on the last day of his life. Despite her peculiar ideas on food and other matters, Sara Kate stays on and does her best to be a mother to Clover as both struggle with grief and readjustment. This is a simple tale, simply told, and it clearly portrays Clover's emotional ups and downs. The dialog is often self-conscious and unnatural, and neither of the main characters is as fully developed as one might wish. Nevertheless, this is a very appealing novel that will fit comfortably into the hands of fiction readers, particularly those with a regional interest.-- Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., Va.
Clover, a black 10-year-old who is wise beyond her years, is devastated when her beloved father is killed in an automobile accident shortly after marrying Sara Kate, a white woman. With clear, simple vision, unencumbered by adult emotions and experiences, Clover learns to deal with death, dying, and racial relationships. Readers will appreciate the keen humor and the picture of Southern life related by a child through the customs, cooking, and culture. They will also get a sense of race relations in the 1980s. Those who enjoyed Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper, 1961) and Will Tweedy in Cold Sassy Tree (Ticknor & Fields, 1984) will love Clover. In addition, the requirement that students read an American novel by a modern writer can be satisfied by this beautifully executed book. --Carol Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Striking . . . Clover, a 10-year-old black girl from a small town in South Carolina, chronicles her bewildering but gradually deepening relationship with her white stepmother following her father’s tragic death only hours after the marriage . . . The author has staked out an impressive new territory here, replete with peach farmers, textile workers, drunks and crazy people, with the newly middle class as well as the terminally poor . . . Clover is very much the genuine item.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Sanders sews these family scenes together like a fine quilt maker, delicately fashioning scenes that include distant relatives and old friends with all their peculiarities and local customs.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A moving portrait of the extended black family in a rural setting. In lean but rich prose, [Sanders’s] characters come to life against a backdrop of peach orchards, roadside produce stands and languid summer afternoons.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Warmly engrossing . . . Sanders writes with wit and authority in this unusual gem of a love story.” —Chicago Tribune
“A gentle, wise, emotionally satisfying winner. The character’s are brought to life seemingly effortlessly.” —The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Charming . . . Rich in language and character observation . . . Sanders’ achievement lies in the freshness of Clover’s voice and the old-timey eccentricity of her vision.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Reads like a gentle little dream . . . Imaginative metaphors and a refreshing new voice join forces to deliver images that stand with the best visionaries, with equal doses of humor and playful jabs at racial barriers.” —Richmond Times
“The writing is artful and quick.” —The Dallas Morning News
“It won’t take long for Sanders’ perceptive, gently humorous story to grow on readers. Her writing is ripe with metaphor, and she is clearly at home with her characters, their speech and custom.” —The Orlando Sentinel
“The premise is an intriguing one, and the child’s voice is lively and engaging.” —Vogue
“Striking . . . Clover, a 10-year-old black girl from a small town in South Carolina, chronicles her bewildering but gradually deepening relationship with her white stepmother following her father’s tragic death only hours after the marriage . . . The author has staked out an impressive new territory here, replete with peach farmers, textile workers, drunks and crazy people, with the newly middle class as well as the terminally poor . . . Clover is very much the genuine item.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Sanders sews these family scenes together like a fine quilt maker, delicately fashioning scenes that include distant relatives and old friends with all their peculiarities and local customs.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A moving portrait of the extended black family in a rural setting. In lean but rich prose, [Sanders’s] characters come to life against a backdrop of peach orchards, roadside produce stands and languid summer afternoons.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Warmly engrossing . . . Sanders writes with wit and authority in this unusual gem of a love story.” —Chicago Tribune
“A gentle, wise, emotionally satisfying winner. The character’s are brought to life seemingly effortlessly.” —The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Charming . . . Rich in language and character observation . . . Sanders’ achievement lies in the freshness of Clover’s voice and the old-timey eccentricity of her vision.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Reads like a gentle little dream . . . Imaginative metaphors and a refreshing new voice join forces to deliver images that stand with the best visionaries, with equal doses of humor and playful jabs at racial barriers.” —Richmond Times
“The writing is artful and quick.” —The Dallas Morning News
“It won’t take long for Sanders’ perceptive, gently humorous story to grow on readers. Her writing is ripe with metaphor, and she is clearly at home with her characters, their speech and custom.” —The Orlando Sentinel
“The premise is an intriguing one, and the child’s voice is lively and engaging.” —Vogue
