false 3559470 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 3559470 2 3601635 1 2 2009 The Year the Swallows Came Early total:162|5:33|4:61|3:55|2:12|1:1| 162 599 272 79 1506100 3.70 162 79 44954049 1125613 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 5 0 false Sat Jan 31 09:49:12 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 09:51:22 -0800 2009
Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson dreams of going to cooking school. She plans menus and tries recipes and hopes to be like Betty Crocker.

But the year Groovy turns eleven is the year everything changes. H...more...]]> 74550000 955038 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Wed Oct 14 15:38:32 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 15:38:37 -0700 2009 more...]]> 60461435 2438338 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 5 0 false Sat Jun 20 18:19:33 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 18:19:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 52334073 633929 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 16:28:34 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 16:29:18 -0700 2009 more...]]> 76333885 2236983 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Sun Oct 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 31 18:20:11 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 31 18:20:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 45767159 1233649 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Sun Feb 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 15:58:52 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 06:05:39 -0800 2009 ...more...]]> 61744453 2477554 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 1 true Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 06:33:09 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 07:26:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 48943559 50448 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 5 1 false Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 11 12:34:29 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 12:35:18 -0700 2009 more...]]> 60428262 2414144 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 true Sat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 12:13:31 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 12:55:44 -0700 2009
While Groovy's father is in jail, she learns about the power of forgive...more...]]> 63577084 2494782 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 true Fri Jul 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 07:39:35 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 07:44:37 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 46412270 1703640 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Sun Feb 15 09:15:57 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 09:15:57 -0800 2009 Groovy and her dad are walking down the street when the local constable (and friend) stops his patrol car, collects Groovy's d...more...]]> 25626083 738346 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 5 1 false Fri Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 26 20:50:03 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 10 10:04:31 -0700 2008 79876882 659923 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Tue Dec 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 04 10:02:39 -0800 2009 Tue Dec 08 15:24:32 -0800 2009 more...]]> 50693458 1562307 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Fri Mar 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 05:09:29 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 05:09:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 63206836 693536 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Sun Jul 12 18:10:49 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 18:14:08 -0700 2009 more...]]> 52507327 2092827 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Sun Apr 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 10:23:37 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 10:28:48 -0700 2009 more...]]> 49663657 1095896 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 4 0 false Thu Mar 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 09:24:22 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 06:58:13 -0700 2009 more...]]> 77987053 377564 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 5 0 false Mon Nov 16 12:49:50 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 16 12:51:37 -0800 2009 more...]]> 74605269 104659 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Thu Oct 15 06:29:33 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 06:33:11 -0700 2009 more...]]> 75831428 53329 3559470 0061624977 9780061624971 79 <![CDATA[The Year the Swallows Came Early]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379m/3559470.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234465379s/3559470.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3559470.The_Year_the_Swallows_Came_Early 3.70 162 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 menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven—suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown arrive surprisingly early. As Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she learns about the importance of forgiveness, understands the complex stories of the 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.

]]> 2009 3 0 false Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 17:35:17 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 17:35:39 -0700 2009
I dunno... The book was fine. Kind of boring. But maybe I wasn't in the introspective mood for it. *...more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3559470