Stay with Me
Sandra Rodriguez Barron
Harper, Nov 30 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780061650628
In 1979, five toddlers, each with a starfish drawn on their hand, were rescued from a small boat during a hurricane. An anonymous female telephoned the Mayaguez, Puerto Rico authorities tipping them off that the five children were on a boat tied to a dock with no adult supervision. Each was placed in a home, but David, Adrian, Raymond, Taina and Holly kept in touch as the harrowing experience bonded them like siblings.
Almost three decades later, David is diagnosed with brain cancer. His four mates rush to his side to be there for him. He considers them his family; and has two requests of them that only they can perform. He wants to know if their DNA matches and pleads with them to discover the identity of the female who called the cops, thirty years ago. Although they disagreed in the past whether to investigate what happened, the other four will do anything for David who is dying.
The quintet makes the tale seem plausible as each has a unique personality, but it is David’s illness which anchors the realism and provides a tear jerker element. Character driven, fans will enjoy the saga of the five who came from the sea as babies illegally (good thing it was Puerto Rico) who always even in death remain bonded to one another.
Harriet Klausner
No comments:
Post a Comment