Suzanne Goldsmith

In this delightful young adult novel, a 14-year-old girl who has just moved to Martha’s Vineyard gets involved in the environmental movement of the 1970s. Although Clem is already reading Silent Spring on her father’s suggestion, her immediate motivation is her interest in a shy boy who’s involved in restoring the osprey population of Martha’s Vineyard after they’ve been nearly wiped out from pesticide use.

I really loved how Washashore weaves in a real-life environmental message with realistic teenage problems—fitting in, feeling isolated, being bullied, watching her parents’ marriage dissolve, growing up before she’s quite ready, feeling like she needs to save the world, dealing with her first romantic relationship… whew! Really, there’s a lot packed into here.

Washashore’s characters feel very real. They all have their own lives and concerns happening outside of Clem’s point of view, and that influences how they act toward one another. The pacing is steady throughout, building up to tension in several key scenes. And I especially liked that not everything works out perfectly for Clem. She’s at an age where she has to deal with adult issues without really having the experience and skills she needs to handle them. She does her very best at everything she tries, and still there are wins and losses. So she has to learn how to move on from those.

The author has pulled together a story that incorporates so many important themes in such a subtle way that it’s easy just to follow the characters along without noticing it. Instead, you grow along with them as they battle forces in their own lives. I would definitely recommend this both for young teenagers looking for a reflection of themselves and for their parents.… (meer)

'Washashore' is a poignant fictional tale about Fourteen-year-old Clementine Harper. Having to move from the home she had always known, her school, her best friend, Coco & the city she was comfortable in, to the spot they always vacationed at - Martha's Vineyard - Clementine felt despondent and confused. Adam - her father - was taking a job in Ohio, yet her mother - Nora - felt she had to stay at the University in Boston where she was secure in her position. She would have to leave Clem alone for a day and a night once a week while she taught at the University but the rest of the time she could transport to and from work. The summer home on Martha's Vineyards was hers - free and clear - so they would not have a monthly payment to live there.

Walking on the edge of the ocean one day, Clem discovered a very large, beautiful dead bird. It had metal bands on its legs. She felt impressed to cut them off before leaving the bird. A short time later, on a field trip, Bo (the local bird preserve man) told the class about the various endangered birds on the island including the osprey - who looked just like the dead bird she had found. Later she rode her bike to his place and showed him the metal bands and was told who they belonged to. Against her inclination, Bo insisted she needed to go and tell Daniel and show him the bands. This was the beginning of a new experiences in her life.

The story proceeds to describe the many bittersweet discoveries in that continuing year in Clem's forever changing life. New understanding also is awakened in that forth-coming year about life and its changing moments.

This story is very well-written and stirs different emotions in the reader. The characters feel like real people and the supporting background scenes are descriptively brought to actuality.

The book cover is simple but is done well. The Title is also simple and fitting.

My review of this book offers a Four and a Half Stars rating.… (meer)