Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Front Cover

Fin and Lady by Cathleen Schine is one of those books that will stay with you for years after you finish reading it.  The characters come to life, and the setting becomes real.  Set in the 1960s, mostly in New York City, Fin at age 11 moves from the farm where he was raised to New York to live with his half-sister, Lady, when his mother dies. Lady is young and a free spirit.  Although he had met her once when he was a small boy, Fin doesn't really know Lady at all.  He grows to love her and to love life in New York City.  Together, they make their way in the world during a turbulent period which includes the war in Viet Nam, civil rights, women's rights, and the counterculture.  The Isle of Capri is featured again and again in the novel.  I will long remember the little house with the green door and the archway covered in large, brilliant lemons. I am sure that the little house must exist, and I hope I can see it some day!

Both Lady and Fin are independently wealthy, which allows them to find their way without worrying about a roof over their heads.  If the reader is willing to ignore this conceit, the novel is a wonderful view of the world during a pivotal period in time.

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