THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

Marietta Greer directed her path in life towards two goals:  to escape the poverty of her life in Kentucky, and not to get pregnant before finishing school.  Marietta or Missy gets a job working in a hospital thanks to a high school teacher, which changes her life and eventually affords her the car to leave Pittman County Kentucky.

As she says goodbye to her old life, Missy decides she will also choose a new name, taking wherever she lands as a sign; when her car runs out of gas in Taylorville, Oklahoma, Missy adopts the name, Taylor.

By unimagined happenstance, Taylor, now becomes a mother.  As she exits a diner after a quick meal, an Indian woman stops Taylor and insists she take a toddler, tells her the baby has no family and places her in Taylor’s car, then hurries away.

Taylor, too tired to make any decision about her life or the toddler’s, stops at a motel where she is befriended by the manager.  Taylor discovers the toddler suffered physical abuse and is touched when the baby clings to her.  Taylor names the baby, Turtle.

As Taylor journeys along, she befriends an abandoned woman, illegal immigrants, and an abused woman.  Taylor decides to adopt Turtle, who has captured her heart.  To adopt Turtle, Taylor finagles a scheme with the illegal immigrants.

 

Well written novel full of social themes:  Illegal immigration, social injustice, racism and poverty.