Exercises of the Heart Author:Jan Greenberg Fifteen-year-old Roxie Baskowitz would give anything to have her family the way it was before her mother had a stroke. Even though she has made remarkable progress, Roxie still has a hard time accepting the changes in her mother and her own inability to communicate with her. Often, she escapes to her best friend Glo Stern's house for comfort... more ». The Sterns have always seemed perfect to her: they are wealthy, flamboyant, and sophisticated--everything the Baskowitzes are not.
But then Glo takes an interest in Tony Sansone, a scholarship student at their prep school, and Roxie feels neglected. When Glo asks her to round out a foursome, Roxie reluctantly agrees, certain that she and John Lesser are being paired off because the Sterns have insisted Glo and Tony need chaperons. And although Roxie is surprised at how well she and John get along, the evening turns into a nightmare. Glo gets herself and Tony into serious trouble and refuses to accept responsibility for her actions. Instead, she places the blame on Tony, who could lose his scholarship. It's John who shows Roxie what real friendship is all about and makes her realize that there is one person she can go to for help--the one person she thought would never understand.« less