So B. It by Sarah Weeks

A teacher friend has been begging me to read So B. It by Sarah Weeks. I finally brought it home from my school library and started reading the first few pages and I was hooked. I proceeded to read it in two sittings. It reminded me of In search of mockingbird as they both have to do with a young girl's search for clues about their mothers. Heidi, the main young character in So B. It, is being raised by her Mother, and the next-door neighbor, Bernadette, who suffers from agoraphobia. Heidi's mother is mentally challenged and has a hard time making it through her day without help. Heidi loves her mom and really wants more information like does she have grandparents? She gets some clues when she discovers an old camera with film still intact in the back of a kitchen drawer. After the photos are developed Heidi sets off for an institute shown in the photos. The bus trip taking her from Reno, NV to the east coast is a fantastic journey with interesting characters very typical of a greyhound bus ride. Heidi does discover more about her mother's past and meets two long lost relatives as well. This book is beautifully written and reminded me of the valuable thread that bind mothers and daughters together.