The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Reviewed by: Sheila Dube - Springvale Public Library, Springvale, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 2, 2014

Review

Walton's writing pulls readers into this brutal yet whimsical story of three generations of mothers & daughters who love and endure pain. Although the narrator is Ava, a 16 year old born with wings, who is finding her place in life, the story leads into the far reaching past and a compilation of the peculiarities and deep scars that each member of Ava's intergenerational family endures. Their sorrows and the unconventional ways that they cope with neglect and loneliness are interwoven into the present and future of Ava and her brother who has some type of autism disorder. Ava's ability to break out of the walls that her family has built around their lives provides her both freedom and places her in physical danger.

Overall Book Score: excellent