Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell

Our first post this week is from Youth Services Director Noreen Bernstein.

Much of what is being published today for teens deals with vampires, werewolves, Goths, zombies, and so on, but there are a few titles that are equally exciting and, even better, they are historical fiction. Strings Attached by Judy Blundell is one of the best.

Set in Providence, Rhode Island and New York City between the 1940s and 1950s, Strings Attached follows the life of Kit Corrigan, one of a set of triplets who cost their mother her life. Their Irish father, while loving, is not exactly a dependable worker, and the triplets bring each other up in many ways. Kit is the dancer in the family, so at age 17 she moves to New York City in search of a career as a performer. She is also fleeing from her boyfriend, Billy, a student at Brown and the son of a lawyer connected to the mob. As a result of her departure Billy enlists in the military currently fighting the Korean War.

Through flashbacks the plot unfolds: the relationship between Nate Benedict, Billy’s father, and Kit’s father is entwined with a long ago relationship between Aunt Delia, Kit’s father’s sister, and Nate Benedict. The book paints a vivid picture of Kit’s struggle to make it as a dancer and actress, her wish to reconcile with Billy, her fears of Billy’s father, and the mystery of what happened to Aunt Delia. This book is a web of deceit, love, murder, intrigue, family relations, fame, and fortune.

The fiction is interwoven with actual events of the time, including a stunning conclusion shaped around the November 1950 Long Island Railroad wreck that killed more than 75 people. As a young child I remember that accident; my mother was on one of those trains, which in some way made this book more real than ever.

This book is beautifully written, with real characters who represent the historical period in which they lived. The mores of the time are radically different from today and the actions of the characters represent this. This is a true picture of life in New York City and Providence, Rhode Island in this time period. But, in some ways, it is also a story of today, proving that the human condition does not always change with the times. This story is for mature readers who will appreciate all the emotions, conflicts, and mores that control and motivate the characters.  A great read.

Check the catalog for Strings Attached.