Charlie's Girl ~ Review

Charlie's Girl
by Mary-Helen and Daniel Foxx

Rosalind Matthews has come to Grayson after years of bouncing around foster homes out in Arizona.  But Rosalind knows she doesn't fit in in her father's hometown.  Even her grandmother doesn't want her otherwise she would have taken her when her parents died all those years ago.

Grace Matthews doesn't know what to do with this granddaughter who doesn't look like her son Charlie.  Rosalind is thin and waifish and the state of her wardrobe is an embarrassment.  Grace spends Rosalind's first day transforming her appearance - her hair and her wardrobe.

Charles Andrew was Sam and Grace Matthews' only son and their pride and joy.  After serving during WWII Charlie finishes up his college education at Grayson and Mary Louise Dobson sets her cap for Charlie.  In an attempt to avoid Mary Louise Charlie takes up other activities and in drama club he met Nellie Martin.  Nellie and Charlie eloped to his parents disappointment, but when Charlie announces that he is going back to school to Brigham Young University Grace and Sam are hurt and furious that the woman their son married had  turned him to the Mormon cult!  But Sam never forgave the woman who turned his son and Grace harbored deep resentment against the woman and the religion that stole her son's heart.

When an accident takes the life of both Charlie and Nellie, Rosalind is left in a coma.  But Grace is in shock and doesn't comprehend what is said.  That same day Sam dies.  Grace's mind shuts down and years pass before she comes to and remembers her granddaughter.  Can she find Charlie's Girl?

But Grayson, South Carolina is anything but friendly to Rosalind.  The other teenage girls are cruel, belittling and snubbing Rosalind at every opportunity.  The only girl to befriend Rosalind is new girl Emily Watson.  But Emily and the Watson family with their Mormon beliefs are as welcomed in Grayson as Rosalind is.  

But as the two girls become friends Rosalind also begins growing closer to her Grandmother.  But will Grace ever face the pain of her past and allow Rosalind the chance to discover who she is? Will either of them ever truly see Charlie's girl is Rosalind?  

When tragedy strikes deep seated resentments are put aside.

I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher for the purpose of this review.  

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About Charlie's Girl...

By the time fourteen-year-old Rosalind arrives in Grayson, South Carolina, she’s spent nearly her whole life in the foster care system without a family, without a past, and without a home.

But the sudden discovery of a long-lost grandmother and a house full of mementos from her father’s childhood isn’t quite the happy ending Rosalind was hoping for. Instead, it’s just the first step in uncovering the secrets from her past—and maybe even the key to her future.

Set in the 1960s, this unique novel breathes life into a forgotten era and illustrates how much you can discover from your own family’s history. Perfect for readers of all ages, Charlie’s Girl is a story you won’t soon forget.