The Ethan I Was Before

The Ethan I Was Before

"I'm not lying when I say Mom and Dad don't have to worry about
me trying to run again.
Back in Boston, I ran because I wanted to find Kacey.
If I could find her, then I could make everything okay again.
But I know that I can't.
Because where Kacey has gone, I'll never be able to find her."
Ethan's family has moved from Boston to a small town in
Georgia. Ostensibly it's to help his grandfather who has been living
solo. Actually it's to give Ethan a chance for the fresh start his
parents and shrink believe he needs. He is seriously grieving the
loss of a mysterious girl named Kacey.
Things start out far from smoothly in the newly combined
household. Ethan's parents hover, fearful that he will run away as he
has done in the past or attempt something else dangerous. His brother
resents having to leave the place where his girlfriend and future seem
to lie. The newly met grandfather and his mom are always fighting.
Although on the surface it's about the renovations she wants to make
to his bachelor pad, Ethan senses something deeper simmering underneath.
Even the girl, Coralee, who befriends him seems to have at least
a little to hide. She never invites him to her home. Despite the
many stories she's told him about her past, how well does he really
know her?
And who is the mysterious spooky lady whom they first encounter
in a decripit, abandoned, supposedly haunted house?
In her debut novel, The Ethan I Was Before, Ali Standish has
crafted a perfectly paced spellbinder for juveniles. I certainly hope
we'll see a lot more stories from this talented newcomer.
On a personal note, last night we had a marvelous Orono Community
Garden night. It was sunny with a lovely breeze. We had melons to
snack on. Conversation was lively. The concert music was cool. Our
people were happy to get their veggies and we had some yummy ones to
take home. (I'll be able to serve Eugene really fresh beans!). And
once again we had so many cukes I was able to give them out to the
concert goers and make so many people happy!!! That's got to be one
of the most fun things in the whole world.
A great big shout out goes out to my Orono Community Garden family and
to the musicians who made our work so much more fun!
jules hathaway


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