March 5, 2018
In Wolfson’s moving debut, fifth grader Willow adores her free-spirited mother Rosie, who breaks her out of school for spontaneous outings and treats her and her little brother, Asher, to pizza nights and enthusiastic reenactments of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Their father, Rex, who by comparison is inflexible and strict, can’t compete with Rosie’s freewheeling personality, and Willow, who is bullied at school for her clumsiness and her kinky, wild hair, craves Rosie’s love. But as Rosie’s behavior shifts from goofy and fun to increasingly erratic, her addiction to prescription drugs puts her children in danger, and Rex, brokenhearted, insists she get help, setting off a tragic series of events. Wolfson intertwines Willow’s story with the tale of Rex and Rosie’s unusual courtship 12 years prior and the fierce love between them that eventually, and inevitably, gives way to divorce. Willow’s pain amid the push and pull of her parents is palpable, and, following the divorce, Rex realizes that he must change in order to save his family. Wolfson’s novel about the devastating effects of mental illness and prescription drug addiction is, at times, overly earnest, but the hopeful message about love’s transformative power will resonate with readers.
February 15, 2018
Wolfson turns to the story of her own childhood and the tragic death of her mother in this first novel. Uptight Rex and carefree Rosie fell in love in New York, then 12 years later, their ten-year-old daughter Willow is navigating between the houses and lives of her divorced parents. She always sides with Rosie, who treats her children as miniature adults for fun, such as when the kids stay up all night to dance to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Willow is increasingly troubled; she has worn the same set of clothes for years, wets her bed, and doesn't have any friends at school, but she doesn't recognize all is not well until Rosie's bouts of depression and Vicodin abuse lead her to more dangerous acts. Wolfson takes the reader into the heart of a frightened girl and shows a mother who adores her children but cannot give them what they need. VERDICT This title demonstrates the power and limitations of love and the ability of family to heal. Will appeal to readers who appreciate compelling tearjerkers without simple happy endings. [See Prepub Alert, 8/28/17.]--Jan Marry, Lanexa, VA
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