Anne, Vita, Beth. They were hippie girls. Teenagers. Long flowing hair, embroidered peasant tops, long skirts, dangling earrings, bare feet. Pulled one way by the tradition of their small Mid-Western town, another by the promise of the wide world outside.
Twelve-year-old Joey Roland spends the summer with them while his parents “work things out.” He soon discovers that, like the home he left behind in Chicago, the small town of Greenberry is also filled with sadness – loss, betrayal, fears, and disappointment.
The difference is that the three sisters – especially the middle one who pursues the path of acting – teach him how to infuse ordinary life with magic, adventure, and joy.
The result is a summer of transformation, and, for Joey, new-found confidence in his dream path.
Linda Mahkovec - Author 
Reading it now, Linda. Very good so far! I’ll comment again when I’ve finished!
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Thank you so much, Linda! I really appreciate it.
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I just finished the book. So many things I want to say. First, you set the scene so well. Until I was in the 5th grade, I lived in Groveland, IL, even smaller than Greenberry. And I graduated from high school in 1970 so I am a little older than your characters. I know the sense of freedom, riding my turquoise bike all over the neighborhood, discovering new places to contemplate life, and the sense of a larger world waiting for us. Everyone had gardens in their yards, so I recognize Sal’s and Joey’s trips out to collect vegetables for dinner. Even the metal colander they used brought back memories. I remember the small-town carnivals that were held during the late summers. This is definitely a book for dreamers. It made me evaluate my own life in terms of the dreams I had at that age. Most left undone, so now I have to think about my future in terms of what I can still accomplish. The best scene was Daphne encouraging Vita not to lose courage: “Behind us all is the dream. That is what propels us through life; what gets us through.” These characters also reminded me of how transient life is. The places and friends we have known and never knew when it was our last day together until we look back from the future. Thank you for writing this book I would be interested in reading what happens to these characters: Joey’s parents, the details of Joey’s and Vita’s later lives, Anne and Mark, and Beth must have an untold story. I hope you consider a sequel.
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Hi Linda –
Thank you so much for your heartfelt response. I’m so glad that the setting and time resonated with you. I looked up Groveland on the map and it’s not far from Carlinville, the town I based Greenberry on. That area also appears in The Christmastime series (Peoria is even mentioned). I’m especially happy that the story had meaning for you – the dreams, the importance of family and friends. That kind of connection that a reader makes means everything to a writer. I don’t know if you do reviews, but I would so love an Amazon or Goodreads review from you. I feel like you exactly “got” the story. And yes, I’m already thinking of doing perhaps a trilogy. I have a few plot points in mind. I’m working on two other shorter books and then I’ll start the second Greenberry book. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your feedback – you’ve inspired me to make headway on the idea of a series.
Linda
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Great book! Reminded me of growing in Indiana.
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