Half a Dozen Girls

Six girls, one porch swing, and endless summer afternoons. Polly Adams leads this spirited crew through the small adventures and big emotions that define childhood: friend fights and reconciliations, household rebellions against staid Aunt Jane, and the urgent business of deciding who sits with whom at the weekly sewing circle. Ray writes with sharp humor about the genuine drama of being young: the sting of a friend's betrayal, the thrill of a secret shared, the way a sultry summer day can feel like the whole world. These girls are never saccharine. Polly has a temper she vows to tame and a heart that makes the trying worthwhile. The domestic setting hums with life, from the retired horse Job Trotter who still snaps at his younger rival to the clattering dynamics of family dinner. For readers who miss stories where children are allowed to be fully themselves, messy and kind and constantly becoming.