Letters in the Attic
Bonnie Shimko

About the Book

Lizzy McMann is a feisty twelve-year-old who lives with her mother and Manny, her father (she thinks), in a fleabag hotel.

One night, Manny’s sudden announcement that he wants a divorce causes mother and daughter to move to upstate New York to live with Lizzy’s grandmother—a mixed blessing.

At school, Lizzy befriends, then falls in love with, Eva Singer, who is dyslexic, looks like Natalie Wood and lives right down the street.

Like all girls her age, Lizzy has to deal with her first period, her first bra and her first boyfriend. But what scares her most is her love for Eva.

She is also concerned with getting a new husband for Mama—especially after reading Mama’s letters in the attic. Then Eva gets a boyfriend and Mama’s life enters what seems to be a new crisis. How Lizzy comes to grips with life’s strange twists and turns makes for fascinating reading.

Reviews

“Winning debut describes a young girl coming of age during the 1960s. . . . [An] amusing tale notable for its sharp and quick-witted tone. Brisk, fun, and good-natured.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Lizzie is a charming narrator, a seventh grader hovering between naivete and experience. She notices everything . . . there are enough surprises in this appealing story to keep things interesting.”—Publishers Weekly

"What a storyteller Bonnie Shimko is. I love it!"––BETTY DEGENERES

"Letters in the Attic is hilarious, heartbreaking and hopeful. Young and old readers alike will identify with Lizzy."––JULIA WATTS

"Shimko's tough young heroine demonstrates how to survive loss, puberty and first love. A powerful and startlingly witty story."––EMMA DONOGHUE

"I recommend this upbeat coming-of-age story to all young people, gay and straight, and to those who care about them."–-ELLEN BASS

"Evocative and heartfelt, a seesaw of rue and longing, of hopes realized and expectations smashed."––JANE SUMMER

"A tender story of a girl grappling with dawning teenhood."––ROBERT BERNSTEIN