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The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster

By: Kaye Gibbons
Narrated by: Kaye Gibbons
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Publisher's Summary

This sequel to Gibbons' beloved classic Ellen Foster stands on its own as an unforgettable portrait of a redoubtable adolescent making herself up out of whole cloth. Now 15, Ellen is settled into a permanent home with a new mother. Strengthened by adversity and blessed with enough intelligence to design a salvation for herself, she still feels ill at ease in the world. Her sole surviving ritual, a visit to the county fair, takes on totemic importance. While she holds fast to the shreds of her childhood, humoring her best friend, Stuart, who is determined to marry her; and protecting her old neighbor, slow-witted Starletta, she negotiates her way into a larger world by selling her poetry to pay her way to a camp for gifted students. With a singular mix of perspicacity, naivete, and compassion, Ellen draws us into her life and makes us fall in love with her all over again.

BONUS: Features an exclusive interview with the author.

©2006 Kaye Gibbons (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Ellen is still a remarkable creation, and her narrative voice, while it has matured and grown more sophisticated, remains compelling and unique." (Booklist)

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