Kinship

by Trudy Krisher

A companion story to Spite Fences finds Pert longing for something new after Maggie moves away and reassessing her concepts of home and family when the father she has never met returns unexpectedly. Reprint.

Genres: Young Adult

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Trudy Krisher has a reputation as a talented writer who does not hesitate to explore sensitive issues. She grew up in the South like her heroines Maggie, in Spite Fences, and Pert, in Kinship. Born in Macon, Georgia in 1946, she was raised in South Florida.

Trudy graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English and received her Masters degree from The College of New Jersey. She has three grown children: Laura, Kathy, and Mark. Trudy Krisher lives in Dayton, Ohio, where she is a Professor at Sinclair Community College.

Trudy has won many awards for her writing. They include Best Book for Young Adults selections of the American Library Association; International Reading Association Award; The Jefferson Cup Honor Book of the Virginia Library Association; Parents’ Choice Honor Book; Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award; Amelia Bloomer Project Recommendation; Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year; and Capitol Choice Book.

Reviews

[Ruby Schmidt]

Loved this book. The characters are so colorful. Such a wonderful read. Now one of my favorite books.

[Jeanette "Josie" Cook M.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite writers! This is a wonderful story about relationships, family ties, and being related to each other. A community of different families inside a trailer court where bonds form and people care about each other beyond being kin. They become a family with bonds that last without being kin to each other because of their shared community.

Pert is the star of this story. Her relationships with every person in the trailer court are constantly coming into play to make changes to their community. She is always solving problems and looking for answers to solve problems in their community. Pert grows up while putting the pieces together to solve a puzzle that the mayor keeps changing to make the city what he wants it to be and what he wants to sell to everyone. The trailer court does need a facelift, and the residents bond together to complete a list of changes.

Pert's father arrives, and her mother is not buying his act, and neither is her grandmother. Her brother is often covering for their father because he wants Pert to remain happy. The retired school teacher is also helping to cover his tracks and keep Pert happy. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that her father is not what she thinks, and things become complicated when he begins to lose control of his lies and his stories. He becomes overwhelmed with the unraveling of his stories. He flees again. Pert realizes that things are not always as they appear, and she starts to put all the pieces together to discover the truth about her father and his ways.

The trailer park transforms and becomes a circle with no ends. The community bonds and overcomes their differences through Pert and her remarkable decisions. The new baby arrives, and everyone is happy with how things work out for her brother. All mobile homes are painted, and everyone remains in the park. Pert's father is gone, but her mom and Pert are bonded again. Her brother has his new baby and his job at the gas station. Things are working out for the whole family and the community they built.

It is quite a story of kinship, friendships, and bonds between friends, not just kin. The beauty here is how there can be light and darkness, and there can still be a rainbow of love to overcome life's obstacles. Having a support system and routine makes a big difference. Miss Sophie seems to find love, and even though Pert's brother remains single with a baby to care for, there is a bond of relationships to help him along the way. All the residents remain, and the community becomes a happy place.

[Dana O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pert grows up in just a few months as she learns what really important in life and what isn't. Her emotions are so raw. We learn about Pert and her family not just through her eyes but also through the eyes of the tenants who live in her trailer park. A trailer park that evolves into Homestead Circle Park. A diverse cast of characters with different wants, needs, and backgrounds makes Pert's story everyone's story.

[Erandale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a heartwarming book it really brings you closer to the meaning of family. I mean when she didn't know her father. But it takes till the end of the book where she finally understands the meaning of family. I think if you have been through this kind of thing it relates to you more. But in all honesty this book was sad, heartbreaking even at the beginning. Later one everything really starts to pull together. I think it kinda starts out nowhere and its kinda confusing threw out the book. I think this book shows the concepts of home, loyalty, family, and kin. In other words it puts the meaning into hope is where you make it.

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a great read