Almost Lost, Nearly Found: A Novel of Sisters and Secrets

by Nancy Hammerslough

In a small Midwest town, the Rubinson sisters (and their mother) are governed by the strict unwritten rules of their time and place. But all three have Peggy, the younger sister, guiltily shoplifts her family's Christmas presents, daydreams about being grownup and living in a penthouse in New York. Janice, her pretty and popular high school Homecoming Queen, "floats away" in her head when she is confronted by anything unpleasant. Their mother must disguise her very modest farm upbringing while associating with the ladies of the upscale Indiana Club. When Janice is rape by a boy from one of the leading families, she must keep the event secret, even from herself. In a story that ranges from Janice's new (and secret) life at college and then in New York, to Peggy's adventures with her new friend, whose family has escaped from the Holocaust, to the harsh farm where their mother grew up, all three must find themselves and in the case of the sisters, come of age.

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2010

About the author

Nancy Hammerslough has been an anthropologist, a photographer, an educational television producer and a publisher. She lives in Connecticut with her husband plus a small poodle named George and a venerable Siamese cat. This is her first novel.

Reviews

[Nancy Hammerslough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but not coincidentally, I'm the author. However, Ann Howard Creel, who wrote THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS (also a Hallmark television production)and UNDER A STAND STILL MOON, said this:

"With an authentic voice and rich historical details, Nancy Hammerslough tells the story of two sisters at the end of World War II in Indiana and handles sensitive matter with a deft touch. Adults and young adults will relate to both characters as their stories end in a satisfying conclusion.: