Sparrow Road

Product Information

To the rear is a well maintained and mature private garden mostly laid to lawn and benefiting from a garage/ workshop. For Scotland, 2011 data is shown (update coming soon, the Scottish census was delayed by a year unlike the rest of the UK).

An attractive and well presented three bedroom end of terrace family home situated in a popular residential location and just a short walk from Stoneleigh and Worcester Park station, with transport links to central London in under 30 minutes, and conveniently situated moments from the green open countryside of Nonsuch Park and Warren Farm. I cannot think of one kid I know from the library, or my own daughters who could appreciate this story. Is it a thinly veiled criticism of the foster care system, a reflection on single parenting? Who knows. The part of the story with Gray was really touching and meaningful. He never really got to full "Dad" status, but I think he's getting there. This extended three bedroom home offers an abundance of natural light and flexible accommodation comprising a spacious entrance hallway leading through to a front reception with beautiful gas fireplace, to the rear is sizeable open plan living room/dining room and fully equipped kitchen/breakfast room which leads into bright and airy extension with double door leads onto garden.When I saw that Sheila O'Connor was a professor at Hamline University where Gary Schmidt and Anne Ursu work I wondered if she would have strong characters like they do in their middle grade and young adult novels. She does. It is the main strength in this novel along with beautiful writing. The emotional arc of twelve-year-old Raine and the character development of secondary characters kept me going in this book. The plot was predictable and the action minimal, but the subplot had surprises and the ending was strong. Much of the tension is centered on adult issues and this will appeal to students who like realistic fiction that tug at emotions. The messages of missing people, addiction, abandonment, artistic creations, and dealing with conflict (between adults) make for good discussions. Sparrow Road is a place for wishing long and dreaming, and so is this terrific novel. Sparrow Road is quite wonderful and I recommend it highly.” – Karen Cushman author of the Newbery Medal-winning, The Midwife’s Apprentice, and the Newbery Honor-winning Catherine, Called Birdy

I thought Viktor would also have a bigger role, but I didn't really care for his character so it's fine that he didn't.One of the things I love about Sparrow Road is the way this story unravels. Little by little Sheila carefully unravels a beautiful story full of mystery with both it's characters, and the setting's history, that ends up becoming a relatable coming of age story. Though I wanted answers right away, I loved how engaged this made me feel with the book. I wanted to know more. Sheila is a brilliant story teller, because she doesn't tell me everything about her story, she shows me. I really enjoyed the way she allowed me to become apart of her story and introduced each of the characters, including the main character twelve year old Raine. Lillian was great. Her spot at the orphanage was never fully revealed, but it was good enough. When she said after the Art Extravaganza that she needed a nap, I was POSITIVE she was going to die in her sleep. POSITIVE! It'd be an ultimate climax for the ending. Twelve-year-old Raine is not happy. Her mother just took a summer job at an artist's sanctuary called Sparrow Road and she's forcing Raine to go with her. Raine would rather stay in Milwaukee with her Grandpa Mac, working in his store and eating all the candy she can get her hands on. It's always been that way, and she doesn't understand why it has to change now. To make matters worse, Sparrow Road has all sorts of rules, the worst being that you are not allowed to talk except for after dinner and on Sundays. As soon as Rainne arrives, she is devising an escape plan. Surely her mother won't make her stay here all summer. Maybe she can convince Grandpa Mac to come get her. As Rainne settles in at Sparrow Road, she gets to know some of the quirky artists and writers that reside there, and she begins tapping into some of her own unknown talents. She also learns that Sparrow Road used to be an orphanage and there are many secrets waiting to be discovered. As the days pass, and Rainne settles in with the artists, a number of things begin taking place that Rainne doesn't understand. Why does she get the feeling that her mother knows Viktor, the caretaker, better than she lets on? Why is Rainne not allowed to go into town with her mother when she runs errands? Why do the residents of Sparrow Road still talk about the orphans that used to live there as if they still exist? As the summer progresses, Rainne will uncover the answers to these questions, and some of them will change her life forever. I wanted Eleanor to play a better role. Her final scene about dreams and stuff was nice, but I was thinking more along the lines of a huge, emotional breakthrough where the reason for her crudeness is revealed and she becomes nice. Instead, I just got a sad little departure. And, yes, I was sad for her to leave.

Next, my major, major problem with this story is that it features a bunch of non-functioning adults who rely too much on a 12 year-old. A 12 year-old that they do not tell the truth to, and then expect her to make mature decisions. HUH? Several times, I wanted to reach into this book and punch the mother. Was she not the most immature woman EVER? She sneaks her kid away from her loving grandfather, without telling her why, tells Raine her father wants to meet her, and then dumps the whole thing in the kid's lap. No one, with the exception of Diego, ever asks Raine how she feels or if she is okay. It is all about their own agendas!

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Of course, rules are meant to be broken and soon Raine is talking with the artists, exploring the grounds, and finding her own artistic expression (writing). She's also puzzling out what the fate of the orphans was, and how Lillian and possibly Viktor are related to them. And then there's Gray... By the end of the summer, the orphan's story has been told (somewhat), and Raine has learned to make peace with her mother and her newly rediscovered father - it's one of those "growing up" (not quite coming-of-age) books. After being there for a week Raines is thinking of how much she misses her Grandpa Mac and Milwaukee terribly. Soon after she is there for another week she begins to like it there with all the starry nights, rowboat rides on the lake and bike rides to the town. Raine wants to know more about it and the children that used to live there. One interesting point is that there are no real clues as to WHEN this story took place. No mention of cell phones, Internet, computers, etc. The main character wrote letters to her Grampa, and she spoke of missing TV and radio. Based on some of the terminology (five-and-dime) I'd guess it was the late 70's...? The information on housing, people, culture, employment and education that is displayed about Sparrow Road, Great Cornard, Sudbury, CO10 0HF is based on the last census performed in the UK in 2021.