Backwater

Bauer, Joan. Backwater. New York: Puffin, 1999.

Ivy Breedlove doesn’t want to be a lawyer. She knows from genealogical research that not every Breedlove has been a lawyer. She wants to be a historian. To complete the Breedlove family history, Ivy seeks her reclusive Aunt Josephine. Her search for Josephine is also Ivy’s searching for her own identity. Her trek to Aunt Jo’s Backwater defines who Ivy is.

What I thought: As a family history buff, I loved all the quirky historical facts Ivy threw out during the narrative. Here dedication to researching and writing her family history brought home the adage to know yourself, you first have to know those who came before you.