Beyond the Green by Sharlee Mullins Glenn
Expected Release: October 2nd 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Beyond the Green Synopsis:
In this semi-autographical tearjerker set in 1979, Britta has just found out that her foster sister, Dori, is going back to live with her birth mother on the Uintah-Ouray Indian Reservation in Utah. But Britta isn’t going to give up her little sister easily.
Eleven-year-old Britta’s big Mormon family took in little Dori–a member of the Ute tribe–as a baby. Now, four years later, Dori’s birth mother, Irene, is ready to take Dori back. Blunt and feisty, Britta is filled with anger. How can Irene claim Dori when she’s been gone all this time? Britta will stop at nothing to keep her sister, even if it means running away or failing to see beyond her prejudices.
Review:
A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for providing me a copy of “Beyond the Green” by Sharlee Mullins Glenn in exchange for my review. I loved reading this book and finished it in one sitting.
“Beyond the Green” is one of those books that made me reflect and appreciate life after reading it. There are so many wonderful aspects about this novel. Firstly, the author has written this story in a very smooth yet powerful manner. The plot is on a very powerful subject of battling for a child’s affection. However, even though the plot is about Dori, there are also additional subplots that made this an interesting read. These include learning new cultures, making new friendships, and being selfless. Frankly, there are so many scenes that will be etched in my mind for a long time. The scenes that particularly stand out for me are when the family all gaze upon the stars together, when their Mama has the feud with Irene, and how Dori reacts when she is told to live with Irene.
Secondly, the characters are complex and realistic and I felt sympathetic to each one of them at a certain point. It’s so hard to pick out a favorite. I loved Britta’s determination, Cally’s support, Dori’s cuteness, Red Hawk’s history, and Grandpa’s wisdom to name a few. The characters make mistakes and are annoying at times, but they also learn from it and move on. Furthermore, this middle grade novels highlights some harsh realities, but also shows how to overcome them. Some of these include Britta saving Cally’s life from the snakebite, and how she avoids catching a ride with a creepy stranger on the highway. Moreover, I loved reading about the traditions and cultures of the Mormons and Indians. After reading this book, I went online to see the Indian Powwow dance, and it was fascinating!
Thirdly, I just loved the author’s style of writing. I am now a fan of Sharlee Mullins Glenn, and would love to read her future works! She makes the story simple and down to Earth, but cleverly includes beautiful metaphors and phases that made me ponder. One of my favorite quotes from book is:
“We were an accordion family now, I guessed. Stretchy and squishy. Expandable and compressible. We’d all be coming and going, going and coming from here on out. But we’d all keep coming back, because this was home and because we were a family. We were all connected, no matter what. Nothing could change that”.
Overall, I cherished reading “Beyond the Green” and would love to see a sequel made to see them grown up. I urge all readers to pick up and read this book and give it 5/5 stars!
