Book Review: "Days of Wonder" by Caroline Leavitt

Ever since I stumbled upon her heartbreaking yet hopeful novel Pictures of You a number of years ago, Caroline Leavitt has been an author whose books I eagerly anticipate. Her books are often quite emotional but never maudlin, and they definitely are thought-provoking.

Ella was raised by Helen, a devoted single mother who always told her daughter it was them against the world. Yet when she met her boyfriend Jude, Ella fell completely—both of them did, in that all-consuming kind of love that often occurs in the teenage years. Jude began spending so much time in their home that Helen considered the three of them a type of family.

One bewildering night, Ella is accused of trying to murder Jude’s father. She was 15 years old and sentenced to 25 years in prison. She doesn’t understand what happened and can’t figure out why Jude hasn’t come to visit her. When she finds out she is pregnant shortly after arriving in prison, she is left with no choice but to give the baby up for adoption.

After serving only six years of her sentence, Ella is released. She knows she has a chance at a fresh start, but at the same time, she can’t let go of her past, and is determined to find her daughter. With only an address to go on, she decides to move to Ann Arbor to just get a glimpse of the girl, but of course, that doesn’t satisfy her.

Ella keeps her true identity and her past a secret from everyone she meets. She doesn’t know whom to trust and lives in a state of constant fear that she’ll be exposed and her secrets will be revealed. And when it happens in the most surprising of ways, both Ella and Helen must find a way forward.

This is a powerful book, one that would be perfect for discussion by a book club. It’s a story of family, sacrifice, love, hope, guilt, secrets, and fear, and in Leavitt’s hands, it’s definitely hard to put down.