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NOSY PARKER
Lesley Crewe
Nimbus Publishing
June 28, 2022
296 pages
βHey! I’m not nosy. I’m inquisitive.β This is our introduction to Audrey βNosyβ Parker. She’s a 12 year old girl who lives with her father. Her mother has passed away. She is 12 years old who has the soul of a full grown adult.
She and her father have just moved to Montreal, the year is 1967. Expo is just opening. Having visited Expo a couple of memorable times myself, their visits brought back memories.
This is definitely a character driven book, as most of Ms Crewe’s books are. Audrey’s world is full of wonderful and unique and diverse people. She has a grumpy but kindly aunt. Her neighbour is a frazzled Jewish mother of naughty twin boys who always finds time for Audrey. The housekeeper is Ukrainian with a tragic backstory. And, then there is Tom, who starts out as orange the cat from hell but settles into a comfortable life with Audrey and her father. And many more. It takes a village to raise a child and Audrey’s village is exceptional!
Audrey herself is a young lady to be reckoned with. She is curious, kind, intuitive and sensitive. One of her biggest goals is to find out what happened to her mother, something that her father is very reluctant to talk about.
As always, Ms Crewe’s book is a joy to read. She seems to be the master of unique (quirky?) characters. It is fun to watch Audrey forge her way through adolescence. And, she brings back the memories that transitioning out of childhood isn’t always easy. The reader can’t help but love her and want to give her a hug.
The ending is not a total surprise. The words were already leading us in the direction. But, this did not detract from devouring the book!
The epilogue was perfect. It even brought a few tears to my eyes.
Thank you Ms Crewe for giving us another unforgettable character to read about.
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