Niner by Theresa Martin Golding

Golding, Theresa Martin, Niner.
Front Street Books (Boyds Mill Press),2008,208p,$16.95, 978-1-59078-549-2
Realistic Fiction

When twelve-year-old Macy discovers a locket on her front steps, she begins a journey to find out about whom she really is and why her adoptive mother has been gone for almost a year.

Philadelphia native Golding nails the Philadelphia setting of this novel, from the descriptions of living with the El rumbling overhead to the shops on Frankford Avenue. The setting contributes to the authenticity of the story of Macy, a biracial adopted girl who longs for her missing adoptive mother while at the same time wondering about the birthmother who abandoned her. After two foster home placements, Macy has been adopted into a loving family and she has a younger sister, Deena, the biological daughter of her adoptive parents. One fateful day Macy discovers a locket on her front lawn, convinced that the locket is a message from her missing mother. A series of misunderstandings places Macy, Deena, their friends Ty, and Eugene, in a dangerous situation. Macy does her best to handle the situation on her own, but it ends in tragedy. The locket prompts Macy to question who she is and where she belongs, but no matter how much her father reassures her, Macy believes that she is the reason for her mother’s absence. It isn’t until her father tells her that no matter what she looks like, no matter the color of her skin, that they are alike where it counts: in the heart, that Macy stops worrying about her genes and begins a patient wait for the return of her mother. The characters are well-developed, and well-defined and the reader identifies with Macy at every turn. The pacing and development of the plot keep the reader engaged and although an astute reader will make the connection in the last few pages between the events at the beginning and the end, this does not take away from another surprise at the end. It is a bittersweet story with much heart, most of it Macy’s.

Highly recommended for the adoption issues discussed by the main character. Subplot involving the mystery of the locket will also keep readers engaged. RZ