Sure Signs of Crazy
by Kim Harrington
9 years ago, Sarah was 2, and
her mother tried to drown her. She succeeded with Sarah’s twin brother. Now, age 11, Sarah is afraid she will become
crazy like her mother—she already talks to a plant. Struggling with her emotions, and her dad
being an alcoholic, Sarah writes to book character Atticus Finch from Harper
Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird. This, along with her obsession of words and
their definitions, and her older college friend, Charlotte, keeps her mind off
the fact that her crazy mother is now in a mental ward. Charlotte’s brother,
Finn, also loves words and their definitions, and when Mrs. Dupree gives her
books away, Finn grabs a signed copy of To
Kill a Mockingbird to Sarah. What Sarah learns from Mrs. Dupree, is that
Harper Lee’s mother was also kinda crazy, and Harper Lee turned out alright,
which gives Sarah hope and she can finally see the light at the end of the
tunnel.
This is a phenomenal story of a young girl not only dealing with developing as a woman and going through the not fun parts of middle school, but also with the fact that there was intense abuse as a child nearly resulting in her death, and most definitely the death of her twin brother.
Harrington also throws in the connection to one of the greatest American authors of all time, Harper Lee. Sarah is able to channel her worry, frustration, and confusion into letters to Atticus Finch, and it is through that that Sarah is able to make sense of what happened to her and what her connection to her mother should be right now.
Harrington creates a beautiful story, and believable too, about real issues for girls right now and the crazy things that happen to families, especially in our country. This is a tear-jerker for sure, and a great addition to the Young Hoosier Book Nominee List.
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