How High the Moon
Isabella “Teaspoon” Marlene isn’t one of the good girls. She’s not prim or proper, she pals around with the local prostitutes, and she’s not afraid to get into a fight with her snooty neighbors. Her mother, Catty, abandoned her to seek her dreams in Hollywood, and she’s been raised by Catty’s ex-boyfriend Teddy, a gentle man with the proverbial heart of gold. When a well-meaning teacher recommends Teaspoon for a new mentoring program, Teaspoon reluctantly agrees. She is paired with wealthy Brenda Bloom, the town’s beauty queen, whose charmed life is more of a facade than a reality. Brenda’s mother owns the town’s movie palace—Teaspoon’s favorite hangout—and Brenda finds herself pressured to be the woman her mother wants her to be, including dating and marrying her mother’s choice of suitor. As Teaspoon and Brenda grow closer, Teaspoon’s mother returns to Wisconsin from Hollywood, and Teaspoon finds her life turned upside down. Given the choice between her current life in Mill Town and a potentially exciting future in Hollywood, what will she choose?
Kring captures the voice of ten-year-old Teaspoon and the atmosphere of mid-century small-town America very effectively. Since Teaspoon is the narrator, readers see the world through her innocent eyes, adding to the nostalgic feel. The give-and-take between Brenda and Teaspoon is enjoyable. Brenda teaches Teaspoon how to be a little more proper while still being herself, and Teaspoon reminds Brenda that it’s all right to rebel just a little bit. While most readers will see some of the plot twists from a mile away, it’s still an enjoyable novel, especially for readers who enjoy nostalgic fiction.
