Back To The Bright Before

Back To The Bright Before | Katherin Nolte | 208 page

When your 12yo says you have to read something, you absolutely do it. She doesn't ask that of me often. And oh, how glad I am that I did!

Pet's family used to be wonderful, but her father was badly injured in an accident. Now her mom works around the clock to pay the bills, Dad doesn't get out of bed, and Simon only says "cheese ". Pet, age 11, feels responsible for the accident and therefore responsible for fixing all the problems that have come from it.

Pet and Simon set out on a journey that is either a fairytale or a faith allegory, or both layered together. My only gripe is that we never circled back to Nana and her gifts. It feels like a big miss, but my daughter didn't even notice. Maybe I'm asking a fairytale to be too real and "tidy."