"But for the time being, the truth remained concealed. Nobody knew except us three girls that Charley had an ironclad alibi and Ruby had the chance to clear him had she chosen to."
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Against the Grain by Mary Margaret Jensen Trafford Publishing
book review by John E. Roper
Every age has its marker: a specific trait that while not universal for all people is still evident enough in the general population to become a stereotype. For example, two-year-olds are often labeled as "terrible" because this is the age when toddlers frequently become more assertive in their demands. The author doesn't concern herself with the tantrums of ankle biters, but her understanding of the common attitudes of 10-year-olds is spot on and lends her tale of various loves, betrayals, and tragedy an extra layer of reality.
Jensen's main character, Sandy, is an opinionated and feisty 10-year-old farm girl. True to the reputation of the "innocence" of the age, the author makes her view life and relationships in black and white terms. Oblivious to the bigger picture and the subtleties of adult actions and emotions, Sandy's attempts to take matters into her own hands and correct what she perceives as wrong in the lives of others frequently backfires disastrously. Of course, not all of the drama in the lives of those around her is the result of her meddling. Somehow, though, she seems to always get sucked into the middle of things either as an unwilling spectator or as a sounding board for the adults in her small community that seems to be a cross between Peyton Place and Little House on the Prairie's Walnut Grove.
Jensen fills her narrative with a large cast of characters that for the most part are related by blood or marriage. Although it can at times be difficult to keep up with all of them, she does manage to develop the main ones quite well in a book that should appeal to fans of daytime dramas.