Book Blurb: Letters from beyond the grave and a green velvet dress reveal a secret to Yardley’s beloved grandmother; for fans of The Parker Inheritance and The List of Things That Will Not Change and ages 10 and up.
It’s always hard to lose a friend, but for Yardley O’Hanlon it’s devastating. Her best friend is her wild and wonderful grandmother Gidge. They’re two fashionable peas in a quirky little pod. They spend all their time together sewing and crafting and creating beautiful things — until Gidge dies, and Yardley loses her for good.
Or does she?
Yardley isn’t convinced. Gidge was a big believer in reincarnation. She promised she’d never leave Yardley, and Gidge always kept her promises. So when a stylish older woman walks into the Over Easy Vintage Emporium where Yardley is helping out, Yardley is sure it’s her grandmother, back from the dead. But her happiness doesn’t last long, as the woman runs away in terror and no one else believes she was Gidge reincarnated. It’s only with the help of a beautiful green velvet dress, a series of letters from “the other side” and an irritating twelve-year-old buttinsky named Harris that Yardley discovers there’s more to the mystery woman — and Gidge — than she ever imagined.
My review: “People who believe something can’t be done need to get out of the way of people who believe it can be done.” page 162
Grief, loss, and moving on after the death of a loved one is a difficult subject under the best of circumstances, but to tackle them in a middle-grade novel, and having said novel be engaging and appealing would be downright challenging. Vicki Grant meets that challenge in A Green Velvet Secret and, in my opinion, she succeeded in spades. The book invokes many feelings, not just feelings of sadness, but of happiness and joy as well. I just loved the small cast of characters, and their unique personalities and I especially enjoyed the settings of the Over Easy Vintage Emporium, the theatre, and even the pit of despair.
VICKI GRANT is the author of seventeen books including 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You (which has been sold in twenty-two territories and translated into seventeen languages), The Puppet Wrangler, Quid Pro Quo, Dead-End Job and Not Suitable for Family Viewing.
- Publisher : Tundra Books (March 7 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0735270120
- ISBN-13 : 978-0735270121
Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.
