That's what I first thought when I saw the book at the library.My mom was in a hurry,and was irritating me by telling me to hurry up,so I just grabbed the book and went to the car.I didn't read the summary on the back cover,didn't even LOOK at the book the whole ride,just flopped it on the front seat.Īs I began to read,I was intrigued by the story and just couldn't put it down for even a second.(That is,until Dad took the book to his room and snatched away the flashlight). Its a gentle book and I think youll like it. But, in the end and for what its worth she finds out what soof means and the truth about her family. When she does get there, things arent as easy as shed hoped either. Lets just say it brings up some unforeseen obstacles for Heidi. The trip itself is a wonder and I hate to tell you anything about it.

Using clues she finds in an old photograph, she sets off on her own (Bernadette has agoraphobia and cant leave the apartment besides someone has to look after Mama) to a little town called Liberty. One word that begins to haunt Heidi is soof and she decides she has to find out what it means. Heidis mother is really not functional on her own and can only speak a very few words. But theres something about this book that just puts a smile on my face even with the rather sad and bittersweet ending it has. Im not sure why that is, whether it is Heidis quirky lucky streak, her mentally disabled mothers soft charm, or Bernadettes (her neighbor and the real caregiver in Heidis life) oddness. Its a strange thing even though this book is, in many ways, a sad one with kind of a depressing storyline if you just laid it all out&it makes me happy. Im glad I finally put other books aside and picked this one up. It) intrigued me, as did the description on the back (even with the obvious similarities to the movie I am Sam - though they are only skin deep, so to speak). I actually got it before the release date (5/04) and had it near the top of my ever-growing stack of review books, but somehow it kept getting moved back. Id been meaning to read this book forever.

So b it novel