SOLVED. Coming of age, girl trying to discover unknown father [s]

[Annalisa]

I read this maybe 5 years ago. It takes place in the South. The main character is 11 and her mother refuses to tell her who her father is. She likes to write and visit an old man in his mobile home while her mother goes to choir. The mobile home burns down and she tries to save the old man, but he ends up having to save her. I want to say the girl wanted her name to be winter (no capital letter). Turns out her mother was raped and doesn't know who the father was and was kicked out of her house for getting pregnant. I swear this had a Today show or Early Edition book club sticker on the front, but I can't find the title anywhere.

[April Ann]

I saw a movie like this where the girl was raped by the high school gym teacher and wouldn't tell anyone about it. There was a court scene at the end of the movie where he was brought to justice. Would this be a movie based on that book?

[Annalisa]

I doubt it. The focus wasn't on the mother and there was never any effort to find the father who was a guy at a party, nobody she knew. It was about the girl constantly pestering her mother who kept saying she didn't have a father and she knew biologically she must. Finally at the end the mother tells her and she sees that protecting her was better.

[Brenda]

Here is a long shot - Bastard out of Carolina - the mom is in an accident before giving birth and her sister and mother put two names down for the father so the county stamps the birth certificate "illegitimate" as they can't for certain determine the father. I don't remember a mobile home burning down but the courthouse holding the birth certificate does. The girl is nicknamed Bone(not winter?) but her real name is Ruth. Mother re-marries and Bone's step father abuses her. Very depresssing story...

[Annalisa]

Some close similarities, but no. Thanks though.

[Kate]

The thing about the name winter reminded me of Icy Sparks, which is the girl's name, and I think this was an Oprah book, but I think either she had both parents or she was a foster kid. It's mostly about a girl with Tourette's who gets sent off to live at an institution.

[Lanica]

This is Shadow Baby by Alison McGhee. One of my favorite books of all time!

[Annalisa]

Yes! Thank you Lanica.