Monday, November 9, 2009

White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

Does your family have their own little secrets?

The Janviers certainly do.

In White Picket Fences, author Susan Meissner addresses what becomes of a family that tries to appear picture perfect while keeping their secrets buried.

Tally Janvier moves in with her aunt and uncle when social services cannot locate her father. He is somewhere in Europe looking for something and no one is saying what.

Tally and her cousin, Chase become close friends after interviewing Holocaust survivors for a school project. But Chase has a secret all his own and he can't seem to remember everything about it.

These secrets begin to unravel the family as the truth seeps out.


This book had two purposes I felt - 1: it explored family secrets and how they affect everyone involved. 2: it told the story of the real-life rescuer during the Nazi violence; of a woman who would sneak children out of the ghettos by carrying them out inside her canvas bag.

The interview aspects of the story, when Tally and Chase videotape the survivors, is compelling. It will cause you to do some research on your own and learn more about this amazing woman.

In the end, White Picket Fences will hopefully lead you and your family away from unhealthy secrets.


This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

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