I loved this book. I read it in about a day and a half, I just couldn’t put it down!

This is a story narrated by the main character Evelyn “Button” Peters who is 9 years old, living in Wisconsin in 1961. Her life is relatively boring – living with a very repressed mother and a father who shows no affection and very little emotion…She is close to her aunt Verdella, who is a warm, happy, loving person and 2nd wife to Button’s uncle Rudy. Their lives are routine and dull, until Freeda and Winnalee Malone move into town.

Freeda comes to town, with little to her name other than a bad reputation and her 9 year old little sister Winnalee in tow. They are both rough around the edges and Winnalee is a sassy, slightly disobedient, dreamer of a child. She carries an Urn everywhere she goes, that is the ashes of her dead Ma, with hopes of someday finding her a final resting place. She has a book of Bright Ideas that she also carries with her to record things – lessons she’s learned—that she can read later, and that ‘will help her to be living good – because adults don’t tell ya shit’. She and Button hit it off right away.

The story takes the reader on a journey, right along with Button and Winnalee. This is a coming of age story of sorts…not only do Button and Winnalee grow, change, and learn on this journey – but so does Button’s Ma Jewel, Aunt Verdella, and Freeda Malone. Everyone learns a lot about life, love, recovering from a painful past and about family.

I can’t tell you more – it’d spoil the story. I highly reccomend this book! I can’t wait to read the author’s other novel…..