story is told through the eyes of Maria Helix, one of nine children growing up in a stable and loving environment. With the sudden breakup of her comfortable family life and home, Maria is forced to confront the realities of loss, conflict, and economic uncertainty triggered by her parents separation and divorce. She paints an honest picture of her family, giving insight to the ways various relatives responded to the unsettling situation and uncertain future of her family. The culture and landscape of the Bahamas are very much a part of this book, particularly the traditional importance of family in island life. For Bahamians, this institution is indeed the center of their existence. When that structure is broken, family members have to reconfigure the meaning of that center while maintaining the integrity of the honest, deep-rooted connections with each other. This story of growing up in the Bahamas will ring true, particularly for young adult readers, with its straightforward writing, flashes of humor, and hard-won wisdom.

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