I love it when a book title has multiple meanings, and this one is no exception.
Is the girl Daisy, as the person she thought she was growing up? Is it Daisy as others have seen her? Or is it Stella, her best friend from childhood? Or is it somebody else altogether?
A lot is going on in this story, but it all hinges on one event at the beginning of Daisy and Stella’s senior year of high school. Repercussions follow both girls over the years, ultimately bringing Daisy back to the small town she grew up in to confront the past.
I thought the author did an excellent job of setting the scene and laying out the details of Daisy’s life. The interspersal of “Before” chapters dovetailed nicely with the “Now” chapters without seeming choppy or taking me out of the flow of current events.
I liked Daisy as a character and as a person. Although it seemed as if there were times that she tended towards the melodramatic, once her entire story was revealed, it became obvious as to why she acted the way she did.
Stella did not play as big of a part as I expected her to, given the taglines and descriptions. But I did like her choices that were the catalyst for the journey into the past undertaken by Daisy. (It sounds convoluted, but it makes sense in the course of the book).
I also thought that the whole reveal was a little bit of a throwaway, given the build-up through the entire book to that point. After everything Daisy had endured over 17 years, it was all explained away in just a few pages. I wish there had been just a little bit more depth to that.
That being said, I did like Daisy’s overall journey, especially as she realizes that she is stronger than she (or anyone) has ever given her credit for being. She had the courage to stick to her convictions, even as everyone else ridiculed or diminished her abilities. On that note, although I initially thought that Anderson’s part in the story was contrived, I found the chapter from his perspective to be ultimately satisfying.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and was turning pages late into the night to finish. (I also love that the author isn’t too far from me, so the world she describes was familiar). I would definitely recommend it.
Author Bio
Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Kelly Heard now lives in Richmond with her husband, spoiled house cat, and two-year-old daughter. She writes poetry, adult fiction, and creative nonfiction. When she is not writing or reading, Kelly enjoys spending her time gardening, cooking, and playing the ukulele for her toddler.
