The Year the Swallows Came Early

US: HarperCollins, 2009. Hardcover. Good/Good. Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson loves cooking and plans to go to culinary school just as soon as she's old enough. But even Groovy's thoughtfully-planned me nus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven-s uddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappe ars, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arri ve surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learn s about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of t he people around her, and realizes that even an earthquake can't get in the way of a family that needs to come together. Kathryn Fitzmaurice's lovely debut novel is distinctively Californian in its flavor. Her rich characters and strong sense of place feel both familiar and fresh at first meeting-and worth revisiting, again and again.