Things at Jennalee's house are just plain crazy, which is why she loves her predictable days helping Uncle Beau (who isn't really her uncle) at his general store. But then Rupert Goody shows up, claiming to be Uncle Beau's son. Jennalee can't believe it, because Rupert is black and Uncle Beau is white. But Uncle Beau tells her it is true and incorporates Rupert into his life, ruining Jennalee's routine.
Although Rupert is slow, he is kind-hearted and tries hard to please. When more unforeseen events -- this time frightening ones -- further interrupt life at the store, Jennalee comes to see that Rupert Goody, odd though he may be, is certainly not the worst unexpected thing that could come along, and that he belongs with Uncle Beau as much as she does. With a vividly depicted setting, emotional truth, and a distinctly Southern voice, Barbara O'Connor shows that there is love enough to go around.
"A sensitive story about love, belonging, and tolerance set in North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains . . . O'Connor has given [Jennalee] a fresh and authentic child's voice and has created a very real, down-home sense of place. An absorbing story peopled with carefully drawn and memorable characters."
Starred, School Library Journal
"[A] gutsy, heartwarming novel, which ultimately shows the capacity for love in the human heart."
