Crossing Stones

I found this book at the library. This may not seem like such a surprise to you, but it's always a thrill. I live in a small town that houses a small county library, and although it has a fireplace (+), it also has a huge metal staircase running directly through the main room (-). I tell you this to illustrate that some of the choices made in relation to the library are... weird.

But.

Crossing Stones by Helen Frost.

This is a beautiful piece of historical fiction/poetry. (Dont' be scared. It's easy poetry to handle.) It takes place between April 1917 and January 1918 and blasts right into the US involvement in World War I and the women's suffrage movement. Three characters tell the story chapter by chapter. Muriel's words flow physically and aurally like the stream that separates her home from the Norman's. Her brother Ollie and her best friend Emma narrate in (you won't even know it when you're reading it) sonnets that represent the stones in the creek - the crossing stones that get the families from one side to the other.

Muriel pushes the boundaries of society's expectations, but in a gentle way. "Maybe you won't rock a cradle, Muriel. / Some women prefer to rock the boat." There is joy and pain, aching and resilience, comfort and the unknown.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go read it.