Sisters, Long Ago [Paperback]

Willow, 13, copes with her sister's impending death through her visions of a past life. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Grade 5-8--When 13-year-old Willow near ly drowns, she has visions of herself in another life in ancient Egypt--as Ka los, a young girl living by the Nile Riv er. Her present-day rescuer, a stranger to Willow, also appears in the visions, as Tiy, a beloved sister. Later, as Wil low reflects on her near-death experi ence, she decides to search for the girl, with whom she now feels a strong bond. Meanwhile, her own sister, Sa rah, is hospitalized with leukemia and seems to have lost her will to live. Wil low does some investigating, including attending a meeting of people who be lieve in reincarnation, and finds her res cuer, Helen, through a personal ad in the newspaper. As if this were not enough to sustain readers' interest, there is also a subplot that involves a dognapping neighbor who steals dogs and then returns them to the unsuspect ing owners for a hefty reward. This ap pealing story moves along briskly, with all the various pieces of the plot hang ing nicely together. Willow and her best friend are likable, interesting charac ters in their own right. Even Sarah and Helen, who appear only briefly, are fairly well developed. Reincarnation is presented here as a highly believable and attractive theory. Willow is firmly convinced that she once lived as Kalos, and some may find her beliefs to be na ive or overly sentimental. It will be hard to find fault, though, with Wil low's parting comments: "I know that life is like the carnival, full of music and laughter and joy. All I have to do is open the door and experience it." Sus pense is maintained up to the very end, making this a page-turner in the same vein as Kehert's Deadly Stranger. (Dodd, 1987). It is reminiscent of Lois Duncan's A Gift of Magic. (Archway, 1981).
-Bruce Anne Shook, Menden hall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.