Beverly Right Here

Beverly Tapinski has had enough.  She's run away from home before, but now it's for good.  Her dog, Buddy, is dead, and she is done with her alcoholic mother, so she hitches a ride up the coast to a small seaside town. 

She lies about her age to get a job at a fish place, and she finds a temporary home with Iola Jenkins.  Beverly doesn't want to rely on anyone, and she for sure doesn't want anyone to rely on her. 

But she quickly becomes tangled up in the lives of her new neighbors.  Iola needs someone to drive her to bingo and is willing to exchange a place on her sofa for a driver. It isn't long before this relationship between 14-year-old Beverly and the elderly Iola becomes more personal.

And what about Elmer, the genius clerk at the local gas station with painful acne and a beautiful spirit?  He's the first friend Beverly's had since Ramie and Louisiana.  Maybe he's even more than just a friend. 

Then there's Iola's cranky old cat Nod who doesn't like anyone except apparently Beverly.  No matter how many times life has let you down, it just may not be possible to live without connections, and Beverly may realize she isn't as finished with her past as she thought.

Kate DiCamillo's third book in the Rancheros series is beautiful and evocative.  It's only a short slice of Beverly's life, but it gets her on the road to healing.  DiCamillo is a master of characterization and can create an entire world with a few words.  Will there be a surprise fourth book to bring our girls back together?  Fingers crossed, but even without another book, these characters will live on in the minds of readers.  Highly recommended.