When Cal Lavender's mother has an unfortunate "episode" in the library, a police officer takes Cal to the "Pumpkin House" -- a group home where Cal must stay until her mother is able to care for her again. Stranded with four hurt, troubled girls and an eccentric old woman known as "the Knitting Lady," Cal thinks this can't possibly be her real life. Or can it? In this triumphant first novel, Jill Wolfson crafts a fascinating look into a world that is strictly closed to most of us, even as it is occupied by far too many young people in today's society. Tough, tender, and funny, What I Call Life is ultimately a moving meditation on our deep need for family -- and our amazing ability to forge a family in the most unlikely of places.
Full Cast Audio does an extraordinary job of bringing Jill Wolfson's debut novel to life. The performers get into the characters of five troubled but hopeful preteen girls in a group foster home. Grace Kelly is outstanding as the narrator, spunky Cal Lavender. Caroline Fitzgerald is the eccentric "Knitting Lady" who, with skeins of wool, knitting needles, and verbal "yarns," crafts tales that help the girls untangle their snarled lives. The voices of Whitney, Amber, Fern, and Monica are also realistic and full of life. An author's note gives directions for knitting and an invitation to visit her Web site for more patterns, in case listeners would like to learn how knitting can help them unravel life's knotty problems. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
About the Author
Jill Wolfson edits a parenting magazine and has volunteered in a writing program for incarcerated teenagers. She has spent many years writing about children in the social welfare system. A native of Philadelphia, Jill now lives with her family in Santa Cruz, California. You can visit her online at www.jillwolfson.com.
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