Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary)
Date Published: March 15, 2019
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Rose is unsettled, curious, and bored. Life in a hippie commune is her parent’s dream come true, not hers. She doesn’t share their passion for living off the land, nor does she enjoy the isolation that is thrust upon her. When she convinces them to send her to public school in the nearby town, a new world opens up to her.
As she pursues her education, Rose chooses a different path, leaving her parents heartbroken at her insistence they are hiding something from her. She’s convinced her father isn’t the man her mother married.
Although she finds love far away from her roots and upbringing, her wounds only deepen as she keeps her family at arm’s length. What she loses during those years can only be retrieved with her understanding that “a Rose by any other name is still a Rose.”
I THOUGHT IT INTERESTING that Glory never asked how I planned to pay for my college education and River never brought it up. I guess my mother didn’t share everything with him, and I didn’t want to ruin the glow she was wearing or tarnish the rare mother-daughter moment we had shared.
“Rose, do you have a moment?”
I pushed shoes and boots out of the way that made it harder than normal to bypass the heap. Winter downpours saturated the ground, one storm in particular almost tearing off the roof. Rain boots, down jackets, and wet towels were wedged between the threshold and the porch to keep water from seeping under the door. I kicked a path to the living room as I peeled off my wet jacket and lace-up boots.
“Of course, I do. Now?”
“Now would be good. Coffee’s on.”
My body tensed, hoping for no bad news.
“Sit.” Glory motioned to the couch. She had already arranged the pillows and cleared the coffee table of the piles of paper and envelopes that grew with every mail delivery. She didn’t seem upset or sad, but I still braced myself.
“I bet you think I wasn’t listening or cared when you told me about your acceptance to San Francisco State. I needed to talk to your father first. It took him awhile to agree and see the logic.”
She poured the coffee from the carafe into my two favorite mugs. I could tell she had prepared the scene.
“I wasn’t sure why River didn’t say anything to me. I tried to handle everything myself. Scholarships, tuition, room and board. It’s a lot. Counselors at school have been trying to help.”
“Now they don’t have to.” Glory removed a letter from the pocket of her apron and slowly opened it. The corners of her mouth turned upward, a wide smile emerged, and I prepared myself to hear something good.
“I never went to college. Not because I couldn’t get accepted or pay for tuition. My parents had started a college fund for me when I was born. Both of them threw it in my face the day I left home, and conversations between my mother and I have been scarce ever since.”
I thought I detected a change in Glory’s facial expression. My scalp started to tingle as I realized my mother was about to go somewhere that conjured up less than pleasant memories for her. She took a deep breath before reading the letter.
“I’m just going to read this letter I received from your grandmother the other day in response to the one I had written her. No need to go into too much detail.”
I sank deep into the fluffed pillows behind my back, pulled my knees up to my chin, and wrapped my hands around the steaming mug of coffee to thaw my hands and still my pounding heart. My mother began.
“Rose, do you have a moment?”
I pushed shoes and boots out of the way that made it harder than normal to bypass the heap. Winter downpours saturated the ground, one storm in particular almost tearing off the roof. Rain boots, down jackets, and wet towels were wedged between the threshold and the porch to keep water from seeping under the door. I kicked a path to the living room as I peeled off my wet jacket and lace-up boots.
“Of course, I do. Now?”
“Now would be good. Coffee’s on.”
My body tensed, hoping for no bad news.
“Sit.” Glory motioned to the couch. She had already arranged the pillows and cleared the coffee table of the piles of paper and envelopes that grew with every mail delivery. She didn’t seem upset or sad, but I still braced myself.
“I bet you think I wasn’t listening or cared when you told me about your acceptance to San Francisco State. I needed to talk to your father first. It took him awhile to agree and see the logic.”
She poured the coffee from the carafe into my two favorite mugs. I could tell she had prepared the scene.
“I wasn’t sure why River didn’t say anything to me. I tried to handle everything myself. Scholarships, tuition, room and board. It’s a lot. Counselors at school have been trying to help.”
“Now they don’t have to.” Glory removed a letter from the pocket of her apron and slowly opened it. The corners of her mouth turned upward, a wide smile emerged, and I prepared myself to hear something good.
“I never went to college. Not because I couldn’t get accepted or pay for tuition. My parents had started a college fund for me when I was born. Both of them threw it in my face the day I left home, and conversations between my mother and I have been scarce ever since.”
I thought I detected a change in Glory’s facial expression. My scalp started to tingle as I realized my mother was about to go somewhere that conjured up less than pleasant memories for her. She took a deep breath before reading the letter.
“I’m just going to read this letter I received from your grandmother the other day in response to the one I had written her. No need to go into too much detail.”
I sank deep into the fluffed pillows behind my back, pulled my knees up to my chin, and wrapped my hands around the steaming mug of coffee to thaw my hands and still my pounding heart. My mother began.
Her debut novel, KEEP FOREVER, was inspired by her late ex-husband who battled the residual effects of the Vietnam War for decades after his return. The burden he brought home is shared by combat veterans of all conflicts, and her fictional account highlights the collateral damage encountered by family members and loved ones living with PTSD in their midst.
Her second novel, MY NAME IS ROSE, departs from her personal experiences and focuses on the collective memories of her generation. She loves writing about nostalgia and the human condition, the common denominator of our lives.
To learn more about Alexa Kingaard and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thanks for being on the tour! This sounds like a well written, interesting read! :)
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