This book is told in a series of linked chapters covering a period of several years during the 1940s. Each story takes place on All Hallows Eve in the rural West Virginia town of Rowlesburg. The central character & narrator is Jimmy Cannon, whose father & older brothers all work for the railroad. Jimmy wants to follow the family tradition but his dad has other ideas. Although written for young people, the writing is very sophisticated--the tenor of the chapters seems to "grow" right along with Jimmy. The author's sense of place and time is excellent--very evocative descriptions of rural W. VA during the war years. This is a book about relationships (family, friends, townspeople) and about traditions.

Very interesting study of the life of Cromwell. I found the descriptions of 16th-century life very interesting. The writing style can be confusing until you realize that "he" always refers to Cromwell.

I really enjoyed this -- magical realism is becoming a favorite genre of mine. It is a bit darker than Sarah Addison Allen's books, but maybe a bit more believable because of that. The characters struggle with being different from everyone else--in a way that no one around them can really understand or empathize with.

This book won the Newberry Award for Children's Literature. The main character, Miranda, tells the story. Her life changes when she received four mysterious notes; she has to figure out who sent them and why. Most of the participants in our discussion liked this book very much. It is a quick read, with short chapters & a fast-moving plot with several twists & turns.