Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson

Hey! How is your summer reading going? I've had trouble finding a great book to sink my teeth into, until now. I've had many books home from the library that I'd start but just couldn't finish. I've been reading other things - e-newsletters, blogs, professional journals, magazines, newspapers, and my RSS feed articles. Listening to talk radio and podcasts. Watching TV - love The Closer starring Kyra Sedgwick on TNT! That's not a surprise who know how much I enjoy reading mystery detective stories with a woman as the main character. I'm learning and enjoying many things but the right book had not come along. Until...

Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson. We first meet Shine as she plays in Fireless with her sisters Tan, Ninny and their Momma. Momma is teaching them about spiders and fear. Momma's eyes - they can be scary too. Baby sister Suddle is fast asleep. Eleven years later Shine realizes her Momma as a spider lurking during the night. We soon learn that Shine is actually Frances, an 18 year old girl with a very troubled past and frequent nightmares. You will be drawn into the suspence of this story as well as the tenderness with her boyfriend, Nix, and loving adoptive parents. Frances must reach back into her past in order to move forward with her life. You see, she is the only surviving child of a tragedy - Momma had smothered her three younger sisters in a fit of madness! This book was difficult to put down. The chapters alternate between Shine's story and Frances' reality. You'll wonder what ever happened that tragic day and where Momma and Daddy are now.

If you've read a good book this summer, please share it with me. Write a review and I'll post it on our BHS Reads blog. Let's keep reading!

Reveiwed by Mrs. Boehm