Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen
Yet more doom and gloom for the state of Pennsylvania. It was odd reading the last two books
simultaneously (I listened to Miller’s Valley while reading Heat
& Light) but it was interesting to see how different groups of people
are being affected by the forces around them.
Instead of fracking, this book is about water and the use of eminent
domain to create reservoirs. Miller’s
Valley had been adversely affected by a badly placed dam and now the homes in
the valley flood terribly with every heavy rain. Houses have been ruined, people have died,
yet there are those who refuse to leave their homes and farms behind.
Mimi lives on a farm in the valley and her father is tied to the
land. He refuses to even think of leaving
even when his young daughter is figuring out that there may not be a
choice. This is the story of Mimi’s
childhood and growing up in a home that may not be there forever and what that
means to her and her family and friends.
This is truly a coming of age story, Mimi makes bad choices and good
choices and you can see the sense of everything she does.
Some of the secondary characters were extremely memorable,
especially Ruth, the agoraphobic aunt who won’t leave her home even in times of
crisis. Her storyline takes a turn I
never saw coming!
Fans of family stories and character studies will find a lot of
like here.
