I loved Harmless by Dana Reinhardt. It is a fantastic book that makes the reader wonder what she would do if she were in the same situation. How hard is it to betray your friends? How hard it is to tell the truth when you know it will get you trouble? How quickly do lies pile up?
Since I loved Harmless, I was really looking forward to reading Reinhardt’s book How to Build a House and I was not disappointed. Harper (like Harper Lee, an incredible author of one of my all-time favorite books!) signs up to help a volunteer group of teenagers build a house in Tennessee for a family that lost their home in a tornado. Living in Kansas, it is easy to understand the terrible devastation left in the path of a tornado; this brings to mind the horrible fates of the people living in Greensburg and Chapman who lost homes in storms not too long ago.
Harper’s reason for spending the summer in Tennessee is because she is fleeing her life in California where her family is falling apart. Harper’s mother died when she was two years old and her father remarried when she was five. Jane and her two daughters Rose and Tess become a vital part of Harper’s family. But when Jane and Harper’s father separate, Harper doesn’t know where she fits in this family that is no longer hers. Harper finds solace in building a home for the family in Tennessee and becoming friends with the oldest son Teddy. Harper also finds a substitute home and family with the other teenage workers during the summer and contrasts her relationship with Teddy with her on-again-off-again relationship with her friend Gabriel back home. Her narration moves smoothly back and forth between sections she calls HOME that talk about what happened before and sections she calls HERE which describe what is happening as they build a house.
This is a great book for young women to read. Harper gets sucked into a tragic relationship with a boy back home because she needs somewhere to belong and it takes her time to understand this and remove herself from the situation. It is an empowering book for young women, but all readers will see and understand Harper’s struggles to find a HOME.
Since I loved Harmless, I was really looking forward to reading Reinhardt’s book How to Build a House and I was not disappointed. Harper (like Harper Lee, an incredible author of one of my all-time favorite books!) signs up to help a volunteer group of teenagers build a house in Tennessee for a family that lost their home in a tornado. Living in Kansas, it is easy to understand the terrible devastation left in the path of a tornado; this brings to mind the horrible fates of the people living in Greensburg and Chapman who lost homes in storms not too long ago.
Harper’s reason for spending the summer in Tennessee is because she is fleeing her life in California where her family is falling apart. Harper’s mother died when she was two years old and her father remarried when she was five. Jane and her two daughters Rose and Tess become a vital part of Harper’s family. But when Jane and Harper’s father separate, Harper doesn’t know where she fits in this family that is no longer hers. Harper finds solace in building a home for the family in Tennessee and becoming friends with the oldest son Teddy. Harper also finds a substitute home and family with the other teenage workers during the summer and contrasts her relationship with Teddy with her on-again-off-again relationship with her friend Gabriel back home. Her narration moves smoothly back and forth between sections she calls HOME that talk about what happened before and sections she calls HERE which describe what is happening as they build a house.
This is a great book for young women to read. Harper gets sucked into a tragic relationship with a boy back home because she needs somewhere to belong and it takes her time to understand this and remove herself from the situation. It is an empowering book for young women, but all readers will see and understand Harper’s struggles to find a HOME.
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