Nissa's Place

Book excerpt: A thirteen-year-old girl in Depression-era Louisiana grapples with her mother moving to Chicago, her father remarrying, and finding where she belongs. Ever since Nissa Bergen’s father Ivar remarried, Nissa has felt like a stranger in her own home, clinging to her memories of her free-spirited mother, Heirah Rae, who moved to Chicago to escape the conformity of small-town Louisiana. To make matters worse, Nissa’s not ready for the physical changes that are happening to her. So when Heirah asks Nissa to stay with her for a while, Nissa decides it’s time for a change. But Heirah’s life in Chicago painting sets for a theater is overwhelming to Nissa, and she misses her home and father in Harper. Slowly, Nissa realizes that she has to stop living for her mother and start living for herself. Ivar and Lara’s visit convinces her that home is in Harper. And after a revelation in the Chicago library, Nissa discovers a way for her to stake her independence and find her place in her family and her life. Told with the lyricism that marked The Year of the Sawdust Man, Nissa’s Place is a beautiful continuation of Nissa’s story and a remarkable book on its own. Once you meet Nissa Bergen, you’ll never forget her. Praise for Nissa’s Place “Honeyed and colorful.” —Booklist “LaFaye surpasses the lyricism and emotional depth of her sparkling debut, The Year of the Sawdust Man, in this sequel. . . . Readers will be moved as Nissa comes to view Heirah Rae’s flight as an act of courage and a spur for Nissa to make her own dream of a library in Harper come true.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review