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Book Review of Backwater

Backwater
Backwater
Author: Joan Bauer
Genres: Children's Books, Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 1568 more book reviews


From back cover: Stuck in a family overflowing with lawyers, Ivy Breedlove longs to be understood, to break free of unfair expectations, and to find the truth about the mysterious hermit aunt who broke the family mold-the relative no one will talk about. With an outrageous mountain guide leading the way, Ivy sets out on the journey of a lifetime to find the missing link in the Breedlove family. But is she too late?


I guess this is supposed to be a young adult novel, but I passed YA decades ago, and I still loved it. I suppose everyone feels like the 'odd man out' sometimes, but how many of us step back, take a good look, and decide to do something about the situation.

BACKWATER is overflowing with pithy little tidbits, too. Here are a few:

Mountains draw you to a deeper place in yourself.

Adult is a magic word with some individuals who think that becoming one is like getting sprayed with instant insight.

[Nowadays] we want sounds and images. Theres no time for stories.
In Sunday school my teacher used to say that the meek will inherit the earth...Im still waiting.

Life doesnt get interesting unless you take a few chances.

If youre looking for truth, youve got to understand the human gift for distortion.

Going to the bathroom outside in the middle of [a Maine] winter makes you think about life in a new way.

You only appreciate the wilderness when you understand the fundamental truth...that man is puny next to it.