by Richard Peck
First published 2004
Mary Alice finds herself living with Grandma Dowdel for an entire year when she turns fifteen. Her grandmother hasn't changed a bit since their summer visits. She still concocts elaborate nighttime plots that leave the whole town talking. She meddles in local romances with surprising results. Some couples find love where they least expect it, while others discover their plans completely upended by Grandma's interference. The old woman takes particular pleasure in outsmarting anyone foolish enough to cross her path, leaving a trail of befuddled neighbors in her wake. Mary Alice watches it all unfold, sometimes horrified and sometimes delighted by her grandmother's audacious behavior. Through twelve months of chaos and unexpected tenderness, she learns that living with Grandma Dowdel means never knowing what tomorrow will bring. The experience changes Mary Alice in ways she never anticipated, teaching her about family bonds and the surprising depths of love that can hide beneath a crusty exterior.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Yonder
Period: 1930s
5 pages · Audio CD · Listening Library