Carol does not want to spend the summer prior to her seventh grade year in the middle of a New Mexico desert on her grandfather's decrepit sheep ranch. Tempers flare; tension mounts. Carol, her parents, her half-sister and toddler brother are repairing the ranch in order to sell it. Her grandfather has dementia and needs to move into a care facility. Despite her misgivings about the summer, Carol (or Caro-leeen-a, as her grandfather says), finds herself drawn to her grandfather and his stories.
An interesting mix of realistic fiction and fantasy. I enjoyed the grandfather's stories and the repeated theme of being proud of one's roots. Ms. Eagar has written an unique story. I found the end a bit dramatic.
Points to discuss: estranged family members/family conflict, dad drinks beer sometimes, big bang theory/evolution considered truth, death- a beloved character dies and also a pet dog, petty junior high girls and their shallow interests/fitting in, her half-sister, Alta, is moody and selfish
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