FICTION

Goodnight June

Plume. May 2014. 320p. ISBN 9780142180211. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101620038. F
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June Anderson takes no pleasure in her work as an investment banker who specializes in foreclosing on small businesses that have fallen behind on their loan payments. June learns that her work may be affecting her health at the same time her Great-Aunt Ruby dies, leaving her entire estate, including her beloved bookstore, to her. June leaves New York for Seattle prepared to do what she does best: sell off the assets and close down the store. But the more she delves into her aunt's treasures and learns about Ruby's friendship with famed author Margaret Wise Brown and contribution to Brown's best-selling work, Goodnight Moon, the further removed June feels from her life back in New York. Then she receives notice that the bookstore is in financial trouble and realizes how upset she'll be if she's unable to save it. Jio (The Last Camellia) has a knack for creating parallel story lines that work well together while being strong enough to stand alone. Although we learn about Ruby primarily through her letters, her character is well developed and her story jibes well with present-day June's struggles.
VERDICT Readers will be as invested in the outcome of the bookstore as June is and they will be captivated by the imaginative backstory the author creates for one of America's greatest children's authors. Recommended.
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