Annamarie’s family runs an orange grove that’s becoming less and less profitable as the ground becomes more and more barren. Passing the blame back and forth, her parents are continually fighting. But when their immigrant workers start disapearing, Annemarie’s about to find out that there are darker things going on than just matrimonial strife.
Though the missing workers seem more like a confusing red herring than anything else, this is still a wonderful story with a very convincing child protagonist. When marriages break down, a child’s first response is often to blame herself as Hoffman illustrates with painful precision and empathy. Add to this an old sacraficial myth and you get a story that’s both sad and hopeful, with an ending that’ll stay with you for a long time.
(Lone Star Stories, June 2008)
